About Explore More
Explore More Early Learning Center is a licensed, play-based and child-led early learning program located in Greene, Maine.
We believe childhood isn’t something to rush through. Children deserve time to play, explore, wonder, create, move, build relationships, make mistakes, solve problems, and discover who they are.
Our role as educators isn’t to control every moment of a child’s day or make early childhood look like elementary school. It’s to create safe, engaging environments, build meaningful relationships, provide thoughtful opportunities for learning, and support children as they grow at their own pace.
Explore More serves children from infancy through school age, with each of our programs grounded in the same core belief:
Children learn best when they feel safe, connected, curious, and free to explore.
Our Story
Explore More began in 2020 as an in-home childcare program, built around the simple belief that children deserve a place where they can feel safe, valued, and free to experience childhood.
What started small continued to grow alongside a passion for play-based, child-led early education and creating environments where children are encouraged to explore, wonder, create, move, and learn through meaningful experiences.
In 2026, Explore More entered its next chapter with the acquisition of a well-established childcare program in Greene, Maine. This opportunity allowed the vision that began in a home to grow into Explore More Early Learning Center, expanding our ability to serve even more children and families in our community.
While the size and setting of Explore More have changed, the heart behind it has not.
We believe high quality early childhood education doesn’t have to look like children sitting at desks completing worksheets. Some of the most important learning happens while children are playing, moving, talking, experimenting, creating, exploring the outdoors, building relationships, and figuring out the world around them.
Today, Explore More continues to grow with the same goal that started it all: to create a place where children are known, families feel supported, educators feel valued, and childhood is given the time and space it deserves.
From a small in-home program to an early learning center, our purpose remains the same: creating more opportunities to play, explore, connect, and simply be a kid!
Our Philosophy
Children Learn Through Play
At Explore More Early Learning Center, our philosophy begins with a simple belief: Children are capable, curious people who deserve an active role in their own childhood.
Our program is play-based and child-led. Rather than expecting every child to learn the same thing, in the same way, at the same time, we recognize that children develop differently and bring their own interest, personalities, strengths, and needs into the classroom.
Our educators observe children’s interests and development and use those observations to create environments and experiences that encourage exploration, discovery, and growth.
Play is Learning
Children don’t need to stop playing in order to start learning.
Play is how young children investigate their world, test ideas, communicate, build relationships, practice new skills, and make sense of their experiences.
Play-based learning might look like:
Building and rebuilding a block tower
Digging for worms outside
Mixing colors at the art table
Creating an imaginary restaurant
Negotiating roles during pretend play
Climbing and discovering what their bodies can do
Sorting rocks, sticks, toys or other objects
Asking questions about something they discovered
Looking through books with a teacher
Pouring, measuring, scooping, and experimenting
Creating something completely different from what an adult expected
To an adult, some of these moments may look like “just playing.” We see language and literacy, mathematics, science, creativity, motor development, problem solving, communication, emotional regulation, collaboration, persistence, and independence.
Child-Led Doesn’t Mean Adult-Absent
Being child-led doesn’t mean children are simply left to do whatever they want.
Our educators intentionally create environments, introduce materials, model skills, ask questions, provide appropriate boundaries, support relationships, and help children navigate challenges.
The difference is that we don’t believe adults need to control every moment for learning to happen.
Children are active participants in their education, while teachers provide the relationships, environment, guidance, and support that allow that learning to grow.
The Whole Child Matters
Development is about much more than whether a child can recite the alphabet or count to a certain number.
We support children’s:
Social-emotional development
Building relationships, recognizing emotions, developing empathy, navigating conflict, and learning to regulate with support.
Communication and language
Expressing wants, needs, thoughts, questions, stories, and ideas.
Physical development
Running, climbing, balancing, manipulating materials, developing coordination, and learning what their bodies can do.
Cognitive development
Thinking, questioning, experimenting, remembering, predicting, solving problems, and making connections.
Creativity and imagination
Creating, pretending, experimenting, expressing ideas, and thinking beyond a single right answer.
Independence and confidence
Making choices, trying new things, asking for help, advocating for needs, and discovering, “I can do this.”
School Readiness Is More Than Academics
We want children to enter their next stage of life curious, confident, and excited to continue learning.
Of course, early literacy, mathematics, science, and other academic concepts are present throughout our program.
But kindergarten readiness isn’t simply a checklist of letters, numbers, shapes, and colors.
It also means being able to communicate, build relationships, solve problems, make choices, ask for help, persist when something is difficult, navigate emotions with support, develop independence, and participate as part of a community.
These skills develop every day through meaningful experiences and play.
Children can develop the foundation they need for future learning without sacrificing the childhood they need right now.
Childhood Matters Now
We recognize that the children in our care will eventually become kindergarteners, teenagers, and adults.
But right now, they are children.
There will be plenty of time for desks, assignments, deadlines, and worksheets.
Early childhood offers something children don’t get back.
Time to wonder, time to move, time to make messes, time to imagine, time to explore, and time to play. We believe that time is worth protecting.
Meet Our Team
The People Behind Explore More
The relationships children develop with their caregivers are at the heart of quality early childhood education.
Our educators bring their own personalities, experiences, strengths, and interests into our program while sharing a commitment to creating an environment where children feel safe, respected, valued, and cared for.
We believe children deserve educators who genuinely enjoy spending their days with them. Educators who will celebrate their discoveries, comfort them through hard moments, get messy alongside them, answer their endless questions, laugh with them, and recognize the individual person behind every little face.
Brooke
Brooke is the owner and director of Explore More Early Learning Center and the person behind the original Explore More program.
Her background includes business administration, management and leadership, early childhood education, and years of experience operating early child centered educational programs. She holds multiple degrees and credentials and continues to further her education in early childhood and nature based education.
Explore More began as Brooke’s in home childcare program in 2020 and grew alongside her belief that early childhood education could be intentional and meaningful without taking childhood away from children.
She is passionate about play based, child led learning and creating environments where children are respected as individuals rather than expected to fit into a one-size-fits-all model of development or education.
As both an educator and a mom of four, Brooke also understands what it means to trust someone else with the people who matter the most to you. She wants Explore More to be a place where families know their children are genuinely known, valued, and cared for.
Owner & Director | Lead Before & After School Teacher
Zachary
Zack handles maintenance at Explore More Early Learning Center. With years of experience as a mechanic and a strong background in repairs and preventative maintenance, he helps ensure our facility remains safe, functional, clean, and welcoming for children, families, and staff.
From maintaining the building and playground to tackling repairs, improvements, and the everyday projects that come with keeping a childcare center running, Zack does much of his work behind the scenes but his role is an important part of creating a safe environment for our children.
Outside of Explore More, Zack works as a tow truck driver so life keeps him pretty busy. When his schedule allows and the center needs an extra set of hands, he also steps into the classroom as a substitute.
As a father of four, Zack understands firsthand just how much activity, curiosity, and adventure comes with childhood. He takes pride in helping create and maintain a space where children can safely learn, play, make messes, and explore every day.
Maintenance & Substitute
Lead Preschool TeacherCaitlin
Caitlin is the lead preschool teacher at Explore More Early Learning Center and brings years of experience in early childhood education along with a genuine passion for working with children.
In the preschool classroom, Caitlin supports children as they learn through play, develop independence, build friendships, explore their interests, and discover new skills. She especially enjoys watching each child’s individual personality shine, celebrating their milestones, and building strong relationships with the children and families she works with.
As a mom of two, Caitlin understands how important it is for children to have a safe, loving, and engaging environment where they feel comfortable being themselves and have the opportunity to learn and thrive.
Outside of Explore More, Caitlin enjoys spending time with her family, camping, cooking, hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors.
Lead Infant TeacherMelissa
Melissa is the lead infant teacher at Explore More Early Learning Center and spends her days caring for our youngest learners.
She provides responsive, nurturing care while supporting each baby’s individual routines, development, exploration, and growing relationships From bottles and naps to tummy time, snuggles, sensory experiences, and those exciting first milestones, Melissa helps create a calm and caring environment where our infants can feel secure as they begin discovering the world around them.
Lead Toddler TeacherJade
Jade is the lead toddler teacher at Explore More Early Learning Center, guiding our busy toddlers through one of the most exciting stages of early childhood.
Toddlers are constantly moving, experimenting, communicating, developing independence, and discovering just how much they can do for themselves. Jade supports them through those discoveries, and the big feelings that sometimes come along with them, while providing opportunities for hands-on play, movement, exploration, and connection.
She helps create an environment where toddlers can safely test their growing independence while knowing they have a trusted adult nearby to guide and support them.
Assistant TeacherLexi
Lexi is an assistant teacher at Explore More Early Learning Center and is part of the team that helps keep our classrooms supported throughout the day.
Rather than working exclusively in one classroom, Lexi goes wherever an extra set of hands, another familiar face, or additional support is needed. This gives her the opportunity to build relationships with children across different age groups and be part of many areas of the Explore More community.
Assistant TeacherBella
Bella is an assistant teacher at Explore More Early Learning Center and works throughout the program to support our children, teachers, and classrooms.
As part of our support team, Bella goes wherever she is needed and has the opportunity to spend time with children across different age groups. Whether she’s joining children in play, helping with classroom routines, or providing an extra set of hands during busy parts of the day, she helps our classrooms run smoothly
Assistant TeacherLydia
Lydia is an assistant teacher at Explore More Early Learning Center and provides support throughout our classrooms.
Her flexible role allows her to work with children of different ages while helping our lead teachers provide consistent care, engaging experiences, and a safe environment throughout the day. Being part of our support team also means children across the center have another familiar adult they can build a relationship with and turn to for support.
Assistant TeacherAmanda
Lydia is an assistant teacher at Explore More Early Learning Center and provides support throughout our classrooms.
Her flexible role allows her to work with children of different ages while helping our lead teachers provide consistent care, engaging experiences, and a safe environment throughout the day. Being part of our support team also means children across the center have another familiar adult they can build a relationship with and turn to for support.
One Team, Many Roles
Although many of our educators have a primary classroom or role, Explore More operates as one team.
Our support staff may move between classrooms throughout the day depending on enrollment, staffing, and the needs of our children. This not only helps our classrooms run smoothly, but also gives children opportunities to develop relationships with multiple trusted adults throughout the center.
No matter which classroom they’re in, every member of our team shares the same goal of creating a safe, caring place where children have the freedom and support to play, learn, grow, and explore.
Interested in Joining Our Team?
We’re always interested in connecting with people who share our belief that children deserve safe relationships, meaningful play, and the freedom to experience childhood.