Anthony D’Agostino, Owner/President
Inspire! Crayon Campus continues to be a leading Childcare and Learning Center in the Rochester area for more than 25 years.
Locally owned and operated by Anthony (Tony) D’Agostino, Tony’s background and experience has always been about people. His career spans from owning and operating staffing companies in his early career, to leading groups that developed curriculum and adult learning for companies like Pearson Education, Ernst and Young and Xerox. He founded the Inspire! Learning and Childcare Centers and Inspire! Crayon Campus with the intention that they would be early learning centers focusing on a child’s time from birth to five years old. This is when children have the greatest cognitive development capacity.
“Our focus has always been to have amazing centers full of laughing and smiling kids, teachers who love what they do and families who see us as an extension of their family. To do this, we focus on values. Our values come from our teachers and administration, our perception of family needs, and from myself. Those values are: Family, Trust, Authenticity, Learning and Creative Environment, being Part of the Community, and being a place to have Fun! This is what makes up our unique culture. It is the basis of how we hire, train, develop, and reward our staff. In our world, having an Amazing Culture is foundational to offering unsurpassed care and education for our kids. We are so lucky and honored to have been entrusted by so many families for close to 10 years,” says Tony.
At Inspire! Crayon Campus, we have developed our own curriculum because we really believe that our teachers truly make the difference. You will not get that “big box experience” with us, but you will most certainly feel like you are part of a caring family who seeks to understand what is important to your family. We aim to provide each child with an individualized experience. With our curriculum, we have developed 9 Key Development Areas to ensure your children are both prepared for the early rigors of school, but will also grow up in a world of wonder through play and self-expression. There are many opportunities in our curriculum to maximize exposure to language, STEM, cognitive development, social and emotional development, and so much more.
We pride ourselves on going above and beyond our families’ expectations to do what it takes to be a premier New York State licensed childcare center. You will not find the cold, impersonal environment that many large franchises or national centers offer. What you will find at Inspire! is a warm, caring, creative, learning and loving environment. When you walk through our doors, you will feel that the center is a home away from home with an individual focus on each child and his/her specific needs.
Thank you so much for visiting our site and hope to see you soon as part of our extended family!
Our Staff
Our parent surveys indicate the number one reason parents choose Crayon Campus is the trust they have in the highly qualified and caring staff of professionals. It is our teachers and administrations who care for each child and their family, as well as striving everyday for the children’s growth and development, that make Crayon different. Their kindness and smiles make every day a special day for your children. We recruit individuals who share our vision, values, love of children and dedication to the highest quality of early childhood educations.
Our Vision
To be the leader in early childhood development throughout our region and act as a model of what child learning and care centers should be throughout the country.
Our Values are:
- Family – We are an extension of the families who utilize our services and we are very proud and thankful for that. Furthermore, we are like a family in our centers and in our locations, working closely and always supporting one another to achieve our goals.
- Authenticity and Integrity – We are genuine and candid, but with diplomacy in the way we work with our families, our regulators and with each other. We are a “stand-up” business in our community and we are leader in our industry for this reason.
- Fun – We truly want to have fun in everything we do. Work can be challenging at times, but we all own our own experiences and we should always bring fun and laughter to our centers. Fun translates to our staff, the children, and families and to our leadership.
- Trust – We are entrusted with the security and safety of our children as well as the teachers and staff who serve them. Confidence in our ability to do what we say we are able to do is very important to our success.
- Learning and Creativity – First and foremost, we are Learning Centers that educate and develop the whole child. We expand young minds through cognitive learning, including literacy and common core elements, social/emotional learning, as well as both large and small motor skills. We will always develop our staff and leadership through many modalities that relate to the individual.
- Community – We are part of our local communities, an extension of those communities and constantly work to make them a better place for everyone. We work with local charities and businesses to better our communities and support the people within them.
Meet Our Center Director
Jennifer Price
Outside of the center, I enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, being creative and baking. Here at Crayon Campus, we want to become part of your family and we want you to become part of our family!
Jessica Lawrence
In my free time I enjoy puzzles, Legos, and spending time with my two sons.
My goal as your center Director is to make you feel a part of our Inspire! family and include you in our community of teachers, families, and children. I want you to feel that the center is your family’s safe place and your child’s home away from home!
Kathleen Parsons
Outside of Inspire!, I enjoy spending time with my husband, and my friends, exploring Rochester, hiking, and reading a good book! You could also find me at your favorite Chipotle or Starbucks location if you look hard enough.