The facility offers pre-school, daycare and before/after school programs for children in the area. It is also one of over 130 locations nationwide, each independently owned and operated. 

The opening event featured many community neighbors and vendors: Frozen Scoops, Jax Snow Shack, Sunny Sips and Amazing Athletes. The Clay County Sheriff's Office handed out trinkets and souvenirs for children and families in attendance.

 The event also featured games and activities, including face painting and a bounce house.

The center’s mascot, Mr. Bee, also made an appearance, meeting and greeting those in attendance. 

With smiles on their faces, families showed up in droves to tour the school, and each employee was happy to guide them around.

The new facility was a joint venture by mother-and-daughter duo Jennifer Pena and Bryanne Harrell. They began laying the grounds for the building in 2022 and said it’s amazing to see it come to life. 

“Our goal is to create an environment that emphasizes on family and enhances the family goals and values,” Pena said. “And we recognize that there’s many different kinds of families and we strive to meet the needs of everyone in our community. 

Pena has been involved in early childhood education for 36 years, teaching just about every age group. Working primarily with management, Pena said it was important for her to branch out into her next step — have her own schools. 

With Harrell as her business partner, she said she is proud to be a woman-owned family business. 

Harrell shared this sentiment, adding that it's been an incredible experience carrying out this new venture with her mom.

The school works with children from infancy all the way up to 12 years old.

Pena said that the school aims to ensure that children are engaged with hands-on experiences, using the Bee All You Can Bee curriculum. She said that this helps to ensure the child’s success leading up to kindergarten. 

Pena said the facility will also begin utilizing the Alive Studios Zoo, a literacy-based program that uses augmented reality methods to teach concepts such as the alphabet, sight words and numbers.

Additionally, the program offers STEM activities to spark their interest in science, technology, engineering and math areas. Pena added that Mr. Bee will also make appearances at the school twice a week for activities and to help engage students with the proprietary books that they will read each month, including the gleeful mascot himself.

Pena said the center is different from other early childhood centers in the county because it focuses heavily on the familial aspect of education.

“We want parents and families here, so we keep them involved. And not only are they in the school, but we also offer the daily communication app that keeps them involved with real-time on what’s happening,” Pena said. “So, that would include diaper changes, meals, and activities that they’re doing.” 

Parent Amanda Rodriguez said that she has a second grader and kindergartener who will begin attending the school. She was impressed with its roominess and appreciated that it had something to keep her kids edified. 

“I like that they have a reflect on their day moment. Which is cool, especially in the climate that we’re in,” Rodriguez said. 

Reanee Owens said she was touring the center to help find a place for her granddaughter to attend before elementary school. She said Oakleaf has always had a reputation for being a great environment, so they decided to tour Kid City USA.

“The classrooms are very nice…they’re spacious. The teachers that we met are very knowledgeable and seems like they will be hands-on with our granddaughter,” Owens said. 

For families in the Oakleaf area, the center is currently open for enrollment.