Launched with Love

JCYS Family Centers foster a love of learning while helping children develop social and emotional skills in a nurturing environment. Located in Chicago (Lincoln Square Ravenswood and Wicker Park), Buffalo Grove, and Highland Park, our play-based curriculum delivers age-appropriate lessons in math, science, and literacy while encouraging creativity and individual expression.

JCYS offers early childhood education (infant care, toddler care, and preschool), summer camps, and specialty programs year-round to serve children ages 6 weeks through 13 years.

About Us

Program Highlights

Academic Foundations

If there’s one thing children are good at, it’s asking “why.” At JCYS, every “why” is an opportunity to practice counting, learn a new letter, or find a country on the map. Children’s natural curiosity and playfulness guide our curriculum. Our teachers encourage children to ask questions and explore their interests while building reading skills, comfort with words, and a foundation in math and science.

Jewish Culture & Engagement

If there’s one thing children are good at, it’s asking “why.” At JCYS, every “why” is an opportunity to practice counting, learn a new letter, or find a country on the map. Children’s natural curiosity and playfulness guide our curriculum. Our teachers encourage children to ask questions and explore their interests while building reading skills, comfort with words, and a foundation in math and science.

Physical Development

At JCYS, children run, jump, bounce, climb, dance, and crawl through indoor and outdoor play spaces. Our experienced teachers encourage active play during the school day to build children’s strength, stamina, and gross motor skills.

Social and Emotional Skills

Children at JCYS learn to share with peers, manage conflict, solve problems independently, and take on age-appropriate challenges. Through group play and classroom activities, children make friends and build social-emotional skills for success inside and outside of the classroom.

6 days ago

🌿 Celebrating Tu B'Shevat in our two-year-old classroom! This Jewish holiday honors the birthday of trees 🌳. Teachers talked about the different fruits that grow on trees, read a story about Tu B’Shevat and got creative with fruits to make beautiful art! 🎨🍏🍊 #jcyslearningadventures #JCYSBuffaloGrove ... See MoreSee Less
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1 week ago

Building Skills Through Play! 🏗️🔨The Owls explored construction through hands-on learning! They developed fine motor skills by building with Lego, wooden blocks, and planks, and strengthened problem-solving by designing blueprints before constructing.Through their classroom construction site, they practiced teamwork and imaginative play, using real tools with guidance from our maintenance manager. Creative projects like blueprint art and block painting helped build spatial awareness and creativity.Most importantly, they learned that safety comes first on every job site! 👷‍♂️✨ #jcyslearningadventures #jcyshighlandpark ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

✨ Room 7 in Action! ✨Our Room 7 friends are honing their fine motor skills by writing their names! ✍️ Each day, they 'sign in' to practice writing and letter recognition. Recognizing letters at ages 3-4 is key for early literacy, and we're so proud of their progress! 🎉#jcyslearningadventures #jcys_lincolnsquare ... See MoreSee Less
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