Skip to content
Search this website:
Now open
Monday-Friday | 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
On-site integrated support services
Daily family communication via our app

Welcome to CHS Hershey

CHS Hershey provides a core early learning program with a play-based curriculum designed to enhance children’s educational, social, emotional, and cognitive development—with all costs covered for qualifying families. The Center features an Innovation Studio, STEM garden, and integrated family services.

Ages served

Infants

6 weeks to 12 months old

Younger toddler

1 to 2 years old

Older toddler

2 to 3 years old

Preschool

3 to 5 years old

CHS Hershey leaders

Melissa

Melissa

Melissa Ilski leads CHS Hershey as its Center Director. With decades of teaching and leadership experience, Melissa joined CHS after serving ten years as Principal of the St. Theresa Catholic School in Houston, Texas. She understands that fostering this positive and empowering environment ultimately benefits the children and families we serve, setting them up to succeed throughout life.

Kristen

Kristen

Kristen Nowak serves as the Assistant Director at Catherine Hershey School for Early Learning, Hershey. Before joining CHS, she was the curriculum director at the York JCC School for the Early Years. Kristen is an intentional leader at CHS Hershey, striving to ensure that the high-quality care and education indicated in CHS’ mission is delivered each and every day.

Admissions

Our Family Success Team works closely with each applying family to determine eligibility.

Our approach

Our program focuses on three key elements we believe make the difference: Nurture, Play, and Discover. We encourage CHS children to follow their curiosity, develop problem-solving, and discover the world around them, all while being child deserves to be nurtured and supported.

Teachers & staff

CHS teachers and staff begin their employment with a professional development program. There they expand their knowledge, build strong team dynamics, and fully integrate into CHS’ mission and innovative approach to early childhood education, enabling them to best serve CHS children and families.

Family success

Each CHS family has a dedicated Family Success Advocate who keeps them informed and helps connect them to tools and resources. These include parenting and educational information, health care referrals, and job training.

Family sitting together with child

Have questions?

Enrollment questions? Interested in career opportunities? Contact us to learn more about Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning.

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning are subsidiaries of Milton Hershey School and will be staffed and operated independently of the Milton Hershey School core model.

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.