LA GRANGE – In operation since 1995, Think Link will close its door in June of next year, citing difficulties in winning grants as a significant downturn in its budget.

In announcing its decision, the board said it is committed to keep its ELF program (Especially Little Folks) open until June.

“I was hoping it would still be open so I could send my own child,” said Think Link ELF program teacher Rikki Hickey.

ELF serves about 15 children in programs for 3-4-year-olds and 4-5-year-olds.

Mariah Hey, coordinator/teacher for ELF, said children gain experience of the world in their classes.

“A little bit of art, a little bit of science, a little bit of culture,” she said. “That’s how they learn, through play.”

“What we don’t have is a long-term self-sustaining program,” said Think Link Board Treasurer Meg Valentine.

Valentine said the board will eagerly meet with parents who can find a way to keep the ELF program going, particularly those seeking services for their own children.

One possible option, would be to keep the summer program open, Valentine said. If a group is interested in this, she said, they would have to begin organizing early in January or February.

Although many people and organizations have offered support for Think Link programs, the use of the museum and class enrollment have lagged behind for the past several years. This has created a financial hardship.

“They’re making tough decisions,” Valentine said of parents who are unable to use the program even while they express their support.

Think Link began as the vision of three educators, Lani Schroeder, Marti House and Judy Peterson. Planning began in 1995, with the first classes scheduled in the summer of 1996. These were held in backyards, playgrounds and churches, even at Sunflower Bookstore, owned by Schroeder.

“At that time there was not a swimming pool, bowling alley or summer program from the city or ESD,” Schroeder said. Think Link provided classes in mountain biking, wall climbing, golf and tennis to make up for this deficit.

Once extra recreational programs were available in La Grande, Think Link began redirecting its efforts toward serving preschool-age children.

“We’re not a mini-prep school, so we kept costs as low as possible,” Schroeder said.

A 2002 survey of what parents wanted resulted in the start of the ELF program. Hickey, who has also taught in Ecuador, calls it the best program she has ever seen.

Think Link has maintained itself financially for the past four years with the help of a Meyer Memorial Trust grant and funding for Hickey’s teaching position from AmeriCorp. According to Valentine, $30,000 to 40,000 per year would be needed to sustain the program.

Community support has sustained the program from the beginning, through donations of time and money, parents volunteering for classes and clean-up, donations of equipment for the museum and other exhibits. Now, with grant funding harder to find, donations are not filling the void.