About us
The Way is an early learning center located in Ogden, with an emphasis in childcare for low-income families and children living in Ogden, KS. In 2010, we began working with the youth throughout the community of Ogden specifically during youth night at the Ogden Community Center. We have since built The House Café, and the attached Refuel Teen Center as a service to the youth of the community.
IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY
After working with teenagers for ten years, we have seen behaviors that lead to incarceration, teen pregnancy, and dropping out of school (Chris is personally familiar with this as he dropped out of school during his junior year of high school). In seeing these behaviors form over time, we believe that we are in a position to help families and kids confront and change these behaviors as early as possible through affordable childcare.
We have converted the old Liberty gas station into the early learning center. Our primary mission is to help and partner with parents in the development of their children when it comes to academics (writing, colors, letters, sounds, and speech), discipline (eye contact, attentiveness, focus, and respect), independent and interactive play (catch, imagination, art and creative independent play), and more.
We hope to be involved with parents in helping pre-k children enter school at the same level as their peers, and our goal is to see students who come through our program take the principles that are built here, and carry them with them the rest of their lives.
Meet the LEADERS
Christopher Jacobs
Executive Director/Assistant Teacher
Chris grew up in Topeka, KS. He dropped out of high school his junior year. After multiple years of not doing much, he decided to get his GED and join the army. He deployed to Iraq in 2008, where he made the decision to follow Jesus and the teachings of the bible. Coming back from Iraq in 2009, Chris was attending KSU for his undergrad in history, and began to get involved in a youth group in Ogden as a volunteer. Chris was persuing a career in teaching history, when God changed his story. Shortly after getting married in 2011, Chris and Quinn made the decision to move to Ogden to lead the youth group. Chris has been working with the students in Ogden since 2010 and through this experience, Chris and Quinn witnessed injustices in Ogden, teens dropping out of school, some facing addiction, others faced unemployment as they graduated or even jail. In 2014, he saw the need for something more for those students graduating and not attending college, at which point he began to pursue the vision of The House Cafe. The House Cafe opened its doors in 2017, and then came the Refuel teen center in 2019 and now The Way Early Learning Center. Through becoming a dad in 2014 and 2015, and beginning a foster care journey in 2018, Chris now has a heart to see children interact with thier parents while growing and thriving. His vision is to see kids become independent thinkers who provide for themselves and think for themselves as they grow up.
BILLIE ANTTILA
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Ellaina Robinson
Assistant Teacher
Coming Soon!
FRequently Asked Questions
2.5 yrs (30mos) to 5 yrs (not yet enrolled in school)
We are open 8am to 4pm. You may drop your child off as early as 7:45am and pick up by 4:15pm.
The cost is income based with the opportunity to obtain 2 additional discounts for volunteering throughout the community and attending quarterly parenting classes. These two discounts are optional.
We utilize an app called Class Dojo. We send regular pictures throughout the day as well as communicate through messenger inside of the app.
We serve a morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack.
At this time we only provide full day services for children.
At this time we do not. We only provide full day services for children.
We enroll all year long. As long as spots are available, your child may start in the center following the application and enrollment process.
