Skip to main content

Charlottesville Early Learning Center

Home of the Colts

About CELC

HOME OF THE COLTS

Meet Our Leaders, Learn About Our School

Meet Your Administrative Team

The Charlottesville Early Learning Center (CELC) is a free, full-day public preschool serving 3 and 4 year olds from qualifying families. Teachers and staff work closely with families to help each child reach their full potential. Students build a strong foundation in literacy, math, and social-emotional skills so that they are not just kindergarten ready but kindergarten STRONG.

Dr. Elizabeth Korab, Principal

Dr. Korab has served Charlottesville City Schools since 2016, first as an instructional coach and then as the principal of Sunrise Elementary (formerly Burnley-Moran). Prior to these roles, she gained valuable experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, researcher, and assistant principal. Her doctoral work focused on early childhood literacy and family engagement.

Paige Lindblom, M.Ed., Preschool Specialist

Paige Lindblom has served Charlottesville City Schools preschool since 2014 as both a classroom teacher and an itinerant Early Childhood Special Education teacher. Prior to this, she was a private preschool director and autism specialist. Paige has a special interest in inclusion, instructional coaching, and developmentally appropriate practice in high-quality preschool programs.

Uniquely CELC

CELC supports children to develop independence, curiosity, and confidence.

Highly trained teachers

Experienced, licensed teachers average 12 years in the classroom, helping every student grow with confidence from day one.

Music, art, P.E., and more!

Our preschoolers enjoy dedicated time exploring music, art, physical education, and lots of different kinds of sensory play.

Choose Charlottesville City Schools for Early Learning

The schools of Charlottesville City Schools support children to develop independence, curiosity, and confidence. Teachers and staff work closely with families to help each child reach their full potential.

Small schools, small classes

With a total enrollment of 200 students, CELC quickly becomes a place where everyone knows your child’s name. Each class has 16 or fewer students and two teachers.

A reflection of Charlottesville’s diversity

Our students come from all backgrounds and cultures, and we celebrate how we’re alike and the ways we’re unique. We’re committed to creating a sense of welcome and belonging for every child.

Outdoor learning

We value time spent outdoors and know that, with the right clothes, kids can have fun in almost any weather! Our state-of-the-art outdoor play spaces give kids lots of opportunities to explore, have fun, and learn in nature.

Why Preschool?

Study after study shows that children who attend high-quality preschool programs enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger math basic skills than those who do not.

The Charlottesville Early Learning Center opened in August 2026 in a temporary location within the main academic building of the former Walker Upper Elementary School. 

A brand-new Early Childhood Center is slated to be built on this same campus. The City of Charlottesville has budgeted over $30 million for the new home of our public preschool.

Stay in Touch

Front Office Administrative Technician 

Virginia Zarate  (Habla Espanol)

Phone: 434-245-2412 

Email the Front Desk Join ParentSquare

 

Principal

Dr. Elizabeth Korab

Preschool Specialist

Paige Lindblom

Early Childhood Special Ed & Compliance Specialist

Patricia Kohstall

Family Support & School Social Worker

Eleanor Barrese (Habla Espanol)

Family Support & School Social Worker

Stephanie Snider

School Nurse

Sarah Polchow

School Counselor

Delaney Desman