News Release: 6/1/2026 Groundbreaking for Fort Firefly

In Fort Smith, Arkansas AlliancEdu officially celebrated the groundbreaking and Vision Tour of Fort Firefly , marking a major milestone after eight years of vision, persistence, partnership-building, and community collaboration.

 

The event brought together state leaders, local officials, families, community partners, and supporters to experience firsthand the mission and future of Fort Firefly, an innovative early learning model designed to support the families who serve our communities every day. Strong attendee engagement and presentations connecting mission, operations, and educational vision reinforced the organization’s readiness to launch the Fort Firefly pilot model.

 

Attendees participated in a Vision Tour showcasing classroom environments and the center’s educational philosophy. Rooted in a Reggio–Emilia inspired philosophy, Fort Firefly is built on the belief that all children possess incredible potential and capability. The model emphasizes exploration, creativity, relationships, and meaningful experiences because experience is one of the greatest teachers in a child’s development. Families can trust that children enrolled at Fort Firefly will receive a high-quality educational experience every day through intentional environments and skilled educators.

 

The welcoming atmosphere created through hospitality, branding, artwork, food, and community support generated excitement and emotional connection from attendees. Organizers also highlighted the extraordinary in-kind contributions and collaboration from partners, volunteers, and team members that made the event possible.

 

“It was such a pleasure for the Fort Smith Chamber to help facilitate the groundbreaking for Fort Firefly,” said of the Chamber Engagement Administrator, Brooklyn Medlock. “The space felt incredibly warm, welcoming, and thoughtfully designed. As a military spouse, I especially appreciated the mission behind Fort Firefly and the impact this will have on military and first responder families in our community.”

 

“Fort Firefly represents what is possible when community, mission, and innovation come together around families,” said Jody Bergstromg, CEO of Camp Alliance. “This is about creating stability for families, strengthening the workforce, and ensuring children are placed in environments where they can truly thrive.”

 

“Fort Firefly is more than a childcare center,” said Patrick Hellman, Executive Director of AlliancEdu. “It is a transformational model built to support military families, veterans, first responders, and the broader national security workforce. This event reinforced that the need is real, people believe in the vision, and the momentum moving forward is strong.”

 

Designed to serve children from birth through age five, Fort Firefly combines high-quality early learning with nontraditional care solutions tailored to the realities of service-connected families and workforce demands. AlliancEdu expressed deep appreciation to every supporter, donor, volunteer, and community partner who contributed to bringing the vision of Fort Firefly to life.