From watching Mars grow to becoming part of it: Goddard School finds a home along Route 228

Nearly 20 years after moving to the Mars area, owner Giovanni Cuzzocrea is now part of the growth reshaping the Route 228 corridor.

When Giovanni Cuzzocrea first drove down Route 228 nearly 20 years ago, the corridor looked much different than it does today.

Cuzzocrea, a Pittsburgh native who was living in the Oakmont area at the time, was searching for a community where his family could put down roots. During trips north to his family’s camp near Conneaut Lake, he and his family frequently passed through Cranberry and Mars.

Then, in 2007, they decided to take a closer look.

They drove down Route 228, visited the Mars Area School District and saw a community Cuzzocrea believed was just beginning to grow.

“We knew that it was an up-and-coming area, and we immediately fell in love with it,” Cuzzocrea said.

His family moved to the Mars area in March 2007.

Cuzzocrea and his wife, Caterina, moved their family to the Mars area in March 2007, beginning a connection to the community that would eventually lead him to open The Goddard School in Mars.

Nearly two decades later, Cuzzocrea isn’t simply watching the growth of the Route 228 corridor anymore.

He’s part of it.

Cuzzocrea is the owner of The Goddard School in Adams Township, located near the Mars Area School District. The school is approaching its first anniversary on Sept. 8 — and Cuzzocrea said he expects it to reach 100% occupancy around that milestone.

“The support from the community has been amazing,” he said.

A relationship that started years ago

The path from commercial banking to early childhood education wasn’t one Cuzzocrea necessarily envisioned.

After moving to Mars, he became involved with Mars Youth Football and eventually served as football commissioner. That’s where he met Matt Speranza, who was coaching at the time.

Speranza and his wife, Dina, would eventually become Goddard School franchise owners. Cuzzocrea, meanwhile, was working as a commercial banker and helped finance their growth.

That gave him an inside look at the business — and at what was happening inside the classrooms.

“I saw the amazing things that they were doing with the kids, the education, our curriculum,” Cuzzocrea said.

Eventually, he decided he wanted to become involved himself.

The group spent several years looking for the right location in the Mars area. When the Adams Township site became available near the school district, Cuzzocrea said the decision made sense.

They had believed for years that the Mars area could support a Goddard School.

Now the enrollment appears to be confirming it.

More than child care

The Goddard School serves children beginning at six weeks old through full-day kindergarten. It also offers before- and after-school programs for children in first through third grades.

Cuzzocrea said families typically arrive with two priorities: safety and education.

Exterior and interior doors remain locked, with enrolled families receiving controlled access through an app. The school also employs multiple sanitation procedures in its classrooms.

But Cuzzocrea is particularly passionate about what happens after children enter those classrooms.

The school’s proprietary Wonder of Learning curriculum uses a play-based approach that incorporates subjects including math, language arts and science while emphasizing children’s social and emotional development.

“The kiddos truly don’t even realize that they’re learning something because we make it a lot of fun for them,” Cuzzocrea said.

The school also introduces children to Spanish, sign language, yoga and musical instruments.

Cuzzocrea believes expectations surrounding early childhood education have changed significantly.

Years ago, he said, parents may have primarily been searching for someone to care for their children while they worked. Today’s parents are increasingly looking for an educational experience that prepares children for what comes next.

“They want to get their kids well prepared for their journey into the school system,” he said.

Building a community inside a growing community

For Cuzzocrea, however, the school’s role goes beyond academics.

He remembers what it was like moving to Mars without knowing many people. Getting involved in youth sports helped his family establish relationships and become part of the community.

Now he sees families arriving in Mars and Adams Township facing the same experience.

That’s one reason Goddard hosts activities such as family movie nights and other events designed to bring parents, children and teachers together.

“I’m most proud of the culture that we’ve created within these walls,” Cuzzocrea said. “This is a true family vibe that we have, not only with our families and our kids, but with our teachers.”

The school also uses its Goddard Family Hub app to give parents information about curriculum, learning activities, meals and their child’s day. Teachers can communicate areas where a child is excelling as well as skills families can continue working on at home.

Cuzzocrea wants parents to see the school as an extension of the family rather than simply the place where their children spend the day.

Growth along 228

Outside those walls, the community continues to change.

New homes, businesses and developments have transformed the Route 228 corridor since Cuzzocrea first traveled it in 2007.

He welcomes that growth.

“When I drive around and I see all the homes being built and new businesses, I love it,” he said. “It’s just a great vibe that the Mars community has.”

Goddard has also made community involvement part of its identity, supporting local sports organizations, cheerleading programs and nonprofits.

For Cuzzocrea, that involvement traces back to the welcome his own family received nearly two decades ago.

“Matt and I always said we’ve got to give back to the community,” he said.

And despite spending more than 20 years in commercial banking, Cuzzocrea said changing careers has given him something he never found behind a desk.

The most rewarding moments often happen first thing in the morning.

It’s watching children arrive.

“Seeing these kids come into school with big smiles on their faces and knowing how happy they are when they’re here; that’s what makes me the happiest.”

Cuzzocrea is also not an absentee franchise owner. He said he is at the school every day, working alongside directors who help oversee daily operations.

For a man who first discovered Mars by turning onto Route 228 in 2007, the journey has come full circle.

He watched the corridor grow.

He raised his family in the community.

And now, through The Goddard School, he’s helping serve the next generation of families arriving here.

The Goddard School is a Community Leadership Partner of The 228 Times. Sponsored partnerships support The 228 Times’ independent local news coverage.