Lumina Foundation Learning Center

At our state-of-the-art learning center, Applied Behavior Analysis maximizes potential in individuals with autism from preschool to adulthood.

Located within the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH) on Grand Rapids Medical Mile, GVSU’s Frey Foundation Learning Commons serves GVSU’s health sciences and nursing programs.

Our Mission

Mission Statement: Our learning lab aims to foster a safe and stimulating learning environment where each student can uncover their full potential. We want each child who enters our doors to leave our learning lab fully prepared to pursue their passions and meet their dreams.

Lumina Foundation’s vision is for every American to access a quality education that leads to employment and economic security. We work alongside education leaders, business executives, civil rights organizations, and others to transform the system and open new paths toward college enrollment and career success.

Children who struggle to read or comprehend simple texts will have difficulty with other learning activities, resulting in lower grades, increased school dropout rates, poorer health outcomes, and decreased opportunities for further training or skills programs.

The Maier Math Foundation was created to honor its founder, Gene Maier. Gene is an esteemed mathematics educator and author known for many popular books like Math and the Mind’s Eye. As director of fourteen projects supported by National Science Foundation grants and other agencies, I gave numerous conference and in-service presentations.

The Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 corporation that accepts contributions from individuals and businesses and invests them. Thanks to donors ‘ generosity, earnings from these investments go toward supporting the Special Learning Center, ensuring services for children with special needs will remain available indefinitely.

Our Vision

Lumina works with innovators, educators, and business leaders who share our commitment to education and helping children recognize their full potential and take advantage of opportunities they need to thrive. We work tirelessly towards providing access to quality education and skills essential for living a fulfilled life for every American citizen.

Nearly six out of ten children suffer from learning poverty, meaning they cannot read or comprehend simple texts by the age of ten, inhibiting further education and undermining sustainable and shared prosperity. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded this problem and must be resolved quickly to maintain sustainable shared prosperity for everyone.

Our organization’s primary mission is to provide young children with a safe, stimulating, and educational environment to gain physical abilities, thinking skills, healthy interactions with peers and adults, and reach their fullest potential. By emphasizing core competencies such as these, we ensure every child will reach his or her potential.

The Frey Foundation Learning Commons in DCIH houses an assortment of print books and ebooks supporting GVSU’s health sciences programs such as Allied Health Sciences, Athletic Training, Clinical Dietetics, Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing, Occupational Therapy Physician Assistant Studies, Recreational Therapy Radiologic Imaging Sciences as well as Radiologic and Imaging Sciences. Librarians can assist in research consultations and systematic reviews of library instruction while the Frey Learning Commons welcomes all students and faculty staff.

Our Values

Foundation Learning Center’s programs utilize advanced teaching and behavioral methodologies such as Applied Behavior Analysis and evidence-based best practices, with children encouraged to follow their interests with guidance provided by caring teachers who provide support and encouragement.

Our literacy-centered program addresses this problem because children without literacy may struggle in school and will likely not take full advantage of additional educational, training, and skills programs available nationally – leading to higher youth unemployment, worse health outcomes, and deeper poverty levels.

Most socially oriented service programs only provide temporary relief and don’t address the root causes of generational poverty – lack of education, financial resources, and applicable skills needed for sustained living-wage careers. To combat this issue, LLC provides comprehensive education and employment services such as pre-K, Head Start Continuation Learning, and Job Skills for Life.

Our Staff

At The Foundation Learning Center, our teachers and assistants are carefully selected. We take great pride in maintaining low staff turnover so children and families become acquainted with their teachers over time. Furthermore, our teacher-to-child ratio remains optimal, so each child receives the proper care.

At Grand Rapids State University’s Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH), located on Grand Rapids’ medical mile, the Frey Foundation Learning Commons serves as a central resource to support health science programs such as Allied Health Sciences, Athletic Training, Clinical Dietetics, Exercise science, medical laboratory science nursing Occupational therapy physician assistant studies Public health Radiologic Imaging Sciences Speech-Language Pathology among others. Frey Foundation Learning Commons staff offer individual research consultations collaborative systematic review support library instruction, among others.

Two Learn Labs and a Reading Room provide space for active collaboration and quiet study, respectively, while the Librarian Suite allows students to meet one-on-one with health sciences librarians to ask pertinent questions or request help with research projects. Furthermore, students have access to electronic libraries at Grand Valley State University (GVSU).