SALISBURY — What started as a brainstorming session has resulted in an opportunity for preschoolers to gather for a time to learn and play.
After attending an in-depth spiritual examination workshop together at Hood Theological Seminary and realizing that things were inequitable, Elizabeth Cook said a group got together to discuss how to make things more fair.
The group discussed multiple issues and knew there were many things they could do and that they had to start somewhere.
Therefore, she said, “we zeroed in on early childhood education and just that if children had a more equal start in life or in education, they might be more successful.”
The early learning program called Rise Up Rowan, was launched at the Salisbury Civic Center in October 2025, said Diana Banks, who serves as the program coordinator.
Banks said they had initially thought they would canvas the area and bring in residents from the community nearby.
In January 2026, she said they got a marketing push from the Salisbury Park and Recreation, which was able to help them get more people throughout the community involved with the play and learn group.
Banks said they are also supported by ApSeed, working along with Greg Alcorn, so that all of the students can have an ApSeed tablet. While they don’t work with the ApSeed tablets at the center, she said they give it to the children and “let them know that there are many apps on it that they can use at home.”
Normal attendance for the program, said Banks, is between 18-20 with most of them in the four-year-old age range.
She noted that a goal for the program is to provide toddlers the chance to come together, noting that many of them don’t go to licensed play or daycare centers as some are too young and others don’t have the transportation to get there.
Therefore, she said, “they come here because it’s relatively easy for them, and their children are allowed to play, which they don’t often get a chance to do.”
Patricia Blalock, who was there with her son Praxton, said there were no other children his age near and therefore brings him to have others to interact with, and he said that he loves it.
The group meets each Thursday beginning at 11 a.m. at the Civic Center, 315 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., and will continue to do so until May 21, picking back up in the fall when school begins.
Banks said a second location has been established and has been meeting for several weeks. They meet on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at the Clancy Hills Apartments off Jake Alexander Boulevard. The volunteers helping with this site are from Milford Hills United Methodist Church, she said.
Cook and Ann Lanear, who serve as volunteers for Rise Up Rowan, were at the Civic Center for the morning’s activities providing assistance as needed.
Cook said that 22 percent of incoming kindergartners in the school system are tested as being ready for kindergarten, so kindergarten readiness is also an objective.
As for what takes place during the morning, Banks said they start up with a coloring activity and then she will provide some small instruction on letters and numbers, and the remainder of the time is play.
During the May 30 class time, Banks showed the children how to draw the letters U and V and encouraged them to practice these letters on their individual dry erase boards. She also shared some words that start with those letters and asked if they knew some words they could add and encouraged them with “good job everyone.”
Following the practice time with letters, Cook had the children gather on the mats and read several books to them after which they enjoyed time playing to conclude the day.
Food bags from Rowan Helping MInistry’s Food for Thought program are distributed weekly to the families as they leave.
Approximately once a month, Banks said they have guests come and present a program, some providing entertainment like the recent program by Lona Bartlett, a puppeteer and storyteller, and others by community members who, she said, “come with information and discussion pertaining to childhood education and community organizations that come and talk to them.”
