Children from the Child Development Center at College of the Ozarks gather with ceremonial shovels in preparation for the groundbreaking of The Arthur and RuthAnn White Child Development Center.

College of the Ozarks celebrated a significant milestone on May 4, with the groundbreaking of The Arthur and RuthAnn White Child Development Center, a new facility designed to expand and enhance care for the College’s youngest community members while providing hands-on learning opportunities for students.

Several donors, faculty, staff, daycare student teachers, and daycare children attended the ceremony. Special remarks were made by Dr. Sue head, vice president of cultural affairs and institutional advancement; Kristy Orrell, child development center director; and Dr. Natalie Rasnick, assistant vice president for advancement.

The official act of groundbreaking was done by the new faculty, donors, major contributors, and some of the daycare children. The Daycare children also participated in the ceremony by singing, “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

RuthAnn White (left) and Dr. Natalie Rasnick, assistant vice president for Advancement at College of the Ozarks, attend the May 4 groundbreaking ceremony for The Arthur and RuthAnn White Child Development Center. The new facility will expand childcare services while providing hands-on learning opportunities for College students.

Rasnick shared the gratitude the College has for the donor’s generosity, and the impact and blessings that will come from this new facility.

“This project was made possible through the vision and generosity of many who have invested in our youngest population,” said Rasnick. “Groundbreakings are powerful moments — they remind us that something bigger than all of us is unfolding here. Today, we celebrate not only a new facility, but the stories that will be written within it — those of the children who will grow and learn here, and of the College students who will serve alongside them.”

Located across from the current facility on Old Entrance Road, south of LW Hyer Drive, the new center will expand access to quality childcare while offering a safe, secure, and modern environment for children and staff.

Architectural rendering of the rear view of the future Arthur and RuthAnn White Child Development Center at College of the Ozarks, featuring direct classroom access to outdoor playground spaces designed for early childhood learning and development.

Designed by N·Form Architecture, the building will include operable partitions between classroom spaces, allowing for adaptability in programming and supervision. The facility will meet Missouri Child Care Licensing requirements and include a fully automatic sprinkler system.

The approximately 9,700-square-foot facility will include eight classrooms, administrative offices, a commercial kitchen, laundry room, and a secure entry system. Each classroom will have direct access to restrooms, storage, and an outdoor playground. A key feature of the new center is a 1,300-square-foot multi-purpose room designed as a hardened storm shelter, providing safety during severe Ozarks weather while also serving as a flexible activity space.

Kristy Orrell (left), director of the Child Development Center at College of the Ozarks, and assistant director Karissa Hitchcock, participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for The Arthur and RuthAnn White Child Development Center on May 4.

For Kristy Orrell, director of the Child Development Center, the project is deeply personal.

“My time at the Child Development Center as a student includes some of my most cherished college memories,” said Orrell. “From the moment I stepped into that building, I knew that caring for and educating young children was not simply a job — it was my calling. Returning to serve as director has been a dream come true.”

Orrell emphasized that the new facility represents far more than physical expansion.

“A child development center is more than classrooms and a playground,” she said. “It is a place where laughter fills the hallways, where children take their first steps, where friendships are formed, and where bright futures begin. It is also a support system for working families and a place where educators — and our College students — make a lasting difference.”

The Child Development Center plays a unique role at the College by integrating student workers into daily operations, providing them with meaningful, hands-on experience.

“As we break ground, we do so with excitement for the generations who will be impacted here,” Orrell said. “We are deeply committed to honoring the generosity of our supporters by continuing to provide a nurturing and enriching environment for both our College students and the youngest image-bearers of God in our community.”