With a focus on learning through art and play, the learning environment supports an early-learning community in need of a purposeful and uniquely outfitted school.
(BOYS TOWN, Neb., Oct. 21, 2026) – Boys Town celebrated the groundbreaking of its new Early Childhood Development Center, designed by DLR Group, on Oct. 21, 2026, on its National Headquarters campus. Rooted in decades of clinical research and early childhood experience, the new center will expand access to specialized education and family-centered support for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“This groundbreaking builds on more than four decades of helping children and families establish a strong foundation for the future,” said Rod Kempkes, Boys Town CEO. “By bringing our research, clinical expertise and specialized education together, we can help more children access language and learning opportunities during the years when they matter most.”
The 24,000-SF facility includes four preschool classrooms, two infant rooms, and two toddler childcare rooms. The expanded space increases enrollment capacity, provides care beginning at six weeks of age, and offers before- and after-school programming for school-age children. Since 1982, Boys Town’s early childhood program has helped children who are deaf or hard of hearing build language, literacy, and social skills. The new center builds on that experience, combining clinical research, specialized education, and family-centered support during the years that lay the foundation for lifelong learning.
“This school sets the standard for how intentional design leads to better learning environments,” said DLR Group Principal and K-12 Education Leader Vanessa Schutte, AIA, ALEP. “Every space at Boys Town Early Childhood Development Center strategically and keenly responds to the unique needs of its students through specialized visual and tactile design cues. These students will have a space they deserve to learn and grow in.”
The center optimizes early learning through a tailored sensory-responsive environment inspired by the project’s guiding principles:
- Language, Access, and Understanding are Foundational
- Inclusion, Cultural Respect and Community are Essential
- The Environment Should Uplift, Comfort, and Inspire;
- Play Is the Primary Pathway to Learning.
The environment is supported with advanced visual communication systems and tactile learning features, which foster student independence and discovery. The art studio serves as the building’s centerpiece, connecting directly to a secure central courtyard and encouraging fluid movement between active learning and play. Occupant health and wellbeing are prioritized by high-performance geothermal HVAC systems.
About DLR Group
Celebrating 60 years in 2026, DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering sustainable, human-centered solutions for communities locally and globally. The firm’s architects, engineers, interior designers, and planners collaborate with public and private sector clients to create projects with long-lasting social, economic, and environmental value. Fast Company named DLR Group among the World’s Most Innovative Companies for its industry-leading adaptive reuse strategies: innovative design that serves clients and communities while significantly reducing carbon emissions.
DLR Group’s promise is to elevate the human experience through design. As a 100% employee-owned firm, DLR Group fosters a culture of ownership and accountability that shapes its daily practice and drives its commitment to sustainability initiatives, including the 2030 Challenge, the China Accord, and the AIA 2030 Commitment.