“Not only does this milestone mean that we’re really, truly, on our way to having a safe and nurturing place for our children to learn, grow, and thrive, but it’s a testament to what we can accomplish when we come together.””

Jen Karowe

NEDERLAND - On Friday, August 1, 2025, people from the Nederland community, members of the TEENS, Inc. Board of Directors, childcare professionals, expert architects, designers, developers, and many other stakeholders gathered in the Dyers neighborhood to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the new, unprecedented New Explorers childcare center. 

“I can honestly say that we would not be here without you all and the roles that you’ve all played in one way or another,” TEENS, Inc. Executive Director Stephen LeFaiver said, standing in a fenced-in lot right in front of a bulldozer and a small mound of dirt. 

LeFaiver detailed to the crowd the journey that almost everyone present had gone through, contributing their time and passion, in order to bring the project from a dream to that very real moment when gold-plated shovels were ready to strike that dirt. 

“It’s been a truly democratic process to get us to this point,” he began. 

In October of 2023, TEENS, Inc. proposed to the Town of Nederland to lease Town-owned land at 750 West 5th Street, known as the Old Town Shop Site, for 99 years for $1 a year.

The proposal was for the construction of what was described then as a $5 million, 5,000 square-foot, two-story childcare center with the capacity for more than 60 toddlers and 10 infants. 

Over the years, TEENS, Inc. entered into the Special Review Use process with the Nederland Planning Commission, fought a public petition asking for the reversal of the Board of Trustees’ approval of the lease, and won approval of their childcare project in a public vote.

 On May 20, 2025, their ground lease with the Town was amended to increase the allowable area for the childcare center to 9,700 square feet. 

“We talked with our builders and architects and ultimately we decided to go for it, even though we haven’t yet reached our fundraising goal,” LeFaiver said, regarding the timing of the groundbreaking.

“Our overall goal is to do it as quickly as we possibly can. The hope is to enclose this building by the end of the year, and we’re about 70% of the way to get to that [fundraising] goal.”   

LeFaiver thanked the many people and organizations who helped the childcare center become a reality, including Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC); Steve Rowntree and Hunter Wright from Eldora Ski Resort; and local childcare professionals Karen Campbell and Lisa McCoy, who helped carry TEENS, Inc. into the preschool realm back in 2019.

Gilpin County Commissioners Sandy Hollingsworth and Susan Berumen were also present, and thanked by LeFaiver for helping to garner support for childcare, as was Dominique Waller of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, whose department awarded TEENS, Inc. an $800,000 grant for the project.

“Achieving an equitable early childhood system means creating opportunities that are fair, supported, and tailored to meet the needs of our diverse communities,” Waller said to the crowd. 

“When we support children in their early years we are investing in better health outcomes, less taxpayer costs, children getting better jobs when they become adults, a decreased likelihood in experiencing homelessness, and a strong society as a whole. We look forward to the resounding positive impact this center will create for generations to come.”  

Tracy Youngdahl, Kori Taylor, and Kaycee Headrick of the Early Childhood Council of Boulder County were also thanked by LeFaiver for their investment in Nederland’s future.

“The state of child care here in Boulder County and broadly across the state is really in a difficult spot,” Headrick said, before commenting on LeFaiver’s bombshell announcement that the childcare center’s waitlist has reached 76 families.

“That’s 76 young people that will have a stronger foundational start; that’s 76 families that get to maintain income and increase their economic mobility and have better outcomes overall. And that’s 76 jobs that maybe we can keep here in Nederland and in Boulder County.” 

Jen Karowe, President of the TEENS, Inc. Board of Directors, was presented a beautiful bouquet of flowers for her dedication to the project and to TEENS, Inc.  

“Not only does this milestone mean that we’re really, truly, on our way to having a safe and nurturing place for our children to learn, grow, and thrive, but it’s a testament to what we can accomplish when we come together,” Karowe said. 

Though no members of Nederland’s Town staff or Board of Trustees were present for the groundbreaking, they were thanked for their efforts and contributions to the project, and Karowe read a statement from Mayor Pro Tem Nichole Sterling regarding the importance of child care.   

“Nederland is in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime transition where we must create the infrastructure for resiliency, in our finances, in our environmental posture, in our emergency services, but especially in our social fabric,” Sterling wrote.

“For me, child care is a critical component of our social resiliency; it enables parents to participate in the workforce, and a lack of child care disproportionally affects women who often must choose between participating in the workplace or staying at home.”

Rick Sander, lead architect from Hollis + Miller Architects, shared with the crowd the thought and care that have gone into the childcare center.

“This is not a cookie-cutter building. Every single thing that you will see built was fully customized and tailored to the exact needs and desires of New Explorers,” Sander explained.

“It really has been a collaborative effort and a great process, and given that everybody is here to witness this just goes to show how much support we have for this project. And I do think you will be proud of what we build.” 

Following Sanders’ words, everyone present was invited to partake in some congratulatory cake. There were also photo opportunities for all those involved in the New Explorers project to pick up a shovel and fling some dirt into the air, signifying the start of building the dream into a reality.

The building is expected to be completed by the fall of 2026.