United Church Preschool

Anitra Grove has been involved with UCP since 2014 when she taught in the Turtle Class as her youngest child was in the Frog class. Anitra also enjoyed two years as a Frog teacher here at UCP. Aside from being part of the United Church community since 2012, Anitra has also served as Director of Children’s Ministries here at United Church since 2017. This place is home for her in so many ways. Anitra earned a B.S. degree in Child Development from Meredith College, a Birth-Kindergarten teaching license at UNC-CH, and has more than 27 years experience nurturing children and families in our community. Anitra feels strongly in creating a safe space for children to grow, be curious, and develop social and emotional skills that will enhance their ability to navigate our ever changing world. At UCP, we want each child to know they are valued and loved, just as they are! Anitra‘s family includes her husband, Neil, children, Anna and John, and their dog, Willa May. Her children are both competitive athletes so they spend a lot of time on a baseball field or in a gym. Anitra also loves walking, delicious coffee, and spending time with her family and friends.

Chitra moved to Chapel Hill in 2013 with her husband and son. She became part of UCP family when her son joined UCP as a Turtle in 2014. UCP has special place in her heart. When she decided to return to work, after her son settled down in his middle school, she reached out to UCP. She started as a substitute teacher and, currently, is a Turtle teacher. She was a trainer and researcher in India for more than a decade before moving to Chapel Hill. She has a Doctoral degree in Development Communication, and studied early childhood education and child psychology courses in her bachelor’s degree program. Outside of UCP, she is actively involved in her son’s after school activities. She loves to cook, organize family get together, and visit places.

Anna has been a member of the UCP community since 2014, when her mother, Anitra, began her role as a turtle teacher, and her brother, John, was a frog. She has essentially grown up in this environment, assisting her mother in various educational roles. Earlier this year, Anna graduated from high school and is currently enrolled in classes at Alamance Community College, with aspirations to transfer to UNC-CH in two years. She aims to earn a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences to pursue a career dedicated to helping children. Throughout her life, Anna has devoted a significant amount of time to working with children, inspired by her mother's commitment and affection for them. Most recently, she spent a considerable portion of her high school years interning at her local elementary school and has also worked at the UCCH nursery for the past four years. In her free time, Anna enjoys going to the gym, shopping with her mother, socializing with friends, watching college football, or simply taking a nap.

Melissa feels truly honored to be joining the UCP family! Originally from Iowa, she graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Melissa has spent most of her adult life as a military spouse and moved often with her husband and three children. In 2018, they decided to grow roots in Chapel Hill, and since then have been very happy calling it home. Melissa comes to UCP with 6 years of preschool teaching experience. She is especially interested in helping to develop the social-emotional well-being of preschoolers and enjoys incorporating mindfulness, breathing, and yoga into the preschool day. She has found her true passion sharing in the joy and wonder of learning alongside young children. When she is not learning with preschoolers, she can usually be found at a college or high school sporting event, hiking with her dogs, reading, or cooking. For her, a perfect day is spent outside exploring new places with her family.

Karen is excited to be teaching at UCP again! Her first year was in 2008-2009 as a Frog teacher and then again during the 2014-2015 school year. She took time away from teaching to raise her four boys. All four of her sons have spent at least a year at UCP, if not longer and truly loved it! Now that her youngest is in school, she can’t wait to return to UCP to continue her teaching career with the amazing UCP community! Karen and her husband love to watch their kids' sports games and visit the NC mountains (Boone area) as much as they can. She's excited to work with the Fish class and help them to grow and learn how to navigate relationships with their peers.

Liz has been part of the UCP family since 2005, when her oldest child started in the Fish class. All four of her children are UCP alums, and the growth and friendships they experienced here deepened her appreciation for the value of play in early childhood education. Liz graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English and worked in publishing and editing before joining UCP as a teacher in 2017. She loves using books, song, art, and movement to make her classroom a joyful place to begin a lifetime of learning. She is also passionate about the importance of time spent in nature and of teaching children to care for the plants and animals in their environment. She earned a certificate in designing early childhood outdoor learning environments from NC State University. In her free time, Liz enjoys playing with her dogs, spending time with her family, and traveling with her husband, Kyle.

Liz graduated from Connecticut College, where she played tennis and majored in psychology. She grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Chapel Hill with her husband, Chris, in 2010. Before children, Liz did event planning and also coached middle school and high school athletic teams. Liz joined the UCP family in 2017 when her daughter, Olivia, started in the Fish Class. Her son, Henry, started as a Turtle in 2019. UCP has been a special place for her family, and she feels incredibly fortunate to be part of such a wonderful team of teachers. Liz’s favorite things to do with the Frogs are art projects and reading stories. In her free time, Liz loves to play tennis, read, and cheer on the Tar Heels. 

Richard Younger is the music and movement specialist here at United Church Preschool.
Richard relocated to Durham from his hometown of New York City, where for more than twenty years Richard has worked at preschools, libraries, and hospitals in the NYC area. In addition to his skills as a singer and guitar player, Richard has developed a keen ability to work with every class, teaching them all manner of songs, finger plays, dances,and introducing them to a variety of instruments (percussion instrument, bells, his autoharp,uke, kalimba and various flutes). He readily admits that he’s not very competent on many of them, but as his tells the children, it’s important to try. Prior to his work with children, Richard played in several NYC bands, put out a few records, and performed from Greenwich Village to London, from Denmark to Chad. (Wait for the book!)
Richard is thrilled to call Durham home and to have UCP as one of his schools.
Feel free to contact him for any inquires or questions on 917-738-7213.