OU's Lowry Center partners with Oakland Schools to offer Great Start Readiness Program

Oakland University’s Lowry Center for Early Childhood Education is partnering with Oakland Schools to implement a Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) classroom for the 2026-27 program year, expanding access to no-cost pre-K for eligible four-year-olds in the surrounding community.

GSRP is Michigan’s free pre-K program for eligible four-year-olds. Through hands-on learning experiences, children develop social, early math, reading and problem-solving skills that help prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.

“The Lowry Center for Early Childhood Education offers a unique environment in which young children benefit from highly qualified educators, innovative instructional practices and enriched learning experiences,” said Josh Yax, director of the Lowry Center. “The addition of a GSRP classroom at Lowry will increase high-quality pre-K access for the surrounding community, while fostering strong partnerships with families and local service providers.”

The classroom will serve up to 20 children during the 2026-27 school year. The program is scheduled to operate four days a week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with before- and after-care options available.

The partnership also creates a new field experience opportunity for Oakland University students preparing for careers in early childhood education and related fields. Students will have opportunities to gain supervised, hands-on experience implementing best practices, collaborating with families and supporting inclusive learning environments.

The classroom will also provide opportunities for Oakland University faculty to engage in research that contributes to the broader knowledge base in early childhood education and related fields.

The new GSRP classroom builds on the Lowry Center’s more than five decades of serving young children and families at Oakland University. Located in Pawley Hall, the center serves children from 18 months through 5 years old and provides innovative equipment, materials and practices to support young children’s development.

For the 2026-27 school year, children must be born between Sept. 2, 2021, and Dec. 1, 2022, to be eligible for GSRP, and families must live in Michigan. There are no current income limits for the program, although applications are prioritized for families with the greatest need.

Families interested in the GSRP classroom at the Lowry Center can begin the enrollment process by completing the Michigan Early Childhood Connect online application or by calling or texting Help Me Grow Oakland at 844-456-5437. After an application is submitted and a child’s age is verified, a care coordinator refers the family to its preferred program, which then provides the next steps for enrollment.

For more information about the Lowry Center and its GSRP classroom, visit oakland.edu/lowry or contact the Lowry Center at 248-370-4100.

The Lowry Center is located in Pawley Hall at 440 Pioneer Drive in Rochester.