In the momentary letup from the rain, the children are scrambling about in the yard, high laughter squiggling the air with energy. A teacher flaps her arms and squawks with a child in red rain boots as they attempt to impersonate birds.

Inside, lunches are piled on low shelves. There is much color and light, soft music, the voice of a teacher saying, “Okay! Let’s go play! Are you ready?”

Ada Funes, director of Pacific Union College’s Angwin Discoveryland preschool, has been teaching in this welcoming setting since she graduated from PUC in 1991. Golda Halvorson and Julie Yamada, director and co-director of the St. Helena Discoveryland, have also worked with both Discoverylands for years.

The preschool emphasizes educator training, requiring each teacher to have an A.S. degree and continuing education. “Many people don’t take it seriously—they think it’s just babysitting,” Funes says. “But the children are receiving a base that they have for the rest of their lives."

With its high standards, long hours and non-stop demands, what keeps these professionals so dedicated to this career? It’s simple: they love children. “Being able to see the children grow and discover new things is very rewarding,” says Halvorson.

Discoveryland’s goal is to provide a nurturing environment. “I believe the safest place for these children is at home,” says Funes. “But if they can’t be at home, they need to be at a place where nurturing will continue.” Discoveryland, she explains, can be “an extension of the family.”

Children also need to learn in a fun setting: “Our philosophy is that you learn through play,” Funes explains. The children walk outdoors with their teachers when the weather’s good, or go to the farmer’s market, where they identify produce and take purchases back to do some “cooking.”

Discoveryland’s leaders see their work as a mission. The St. Helena facility has 50 children enrolled; only about two have Adventist backgrounds. Halvorson remembers one child with no religious background. “One day,” Halvorson recounts, “the mom came in and said the child had asked to pray at home before the meal, saying, ‘That’s what we do at school.’”

Yamada agrees, describing how she’s had the children all take turns praying during worship time. “Before long, they all want to pray—for Mom and Dad and the dog and everybody else!”

Discoveryland is all about giving kids that safe, nurturing environment in which they can learn that God carries them close to His heart. Yamada sums it up by saying, “If they leave Discoveryland knowing that God loves them, that’s enough.”