The Children’s College (CC) simultaneously provides a high-quality laboratory setting for early childhood education students, and enriching full-day child care and development services for the children of Auraria Campus’ students, staff, faculty and the community at large.
The Children’s College Services
Ages Served: 2 ½ to 5 years
Hours of Operation: 7:30a.m. to 5:30p.m.
Days of Operation: Monday through Friday, 12 month program
Fees: Vary based on enrollment days
Nutrition Services: A healthy breakfast and snacks are served at no additional cost to all enrolled children. Lunch is provided by families.
Staffing - The teachers at the Children’s College are early childhood education professionals with education, training and certificates in child development and experience in early childhood education programs. In addition to the permanent staff, students from the Early Childhood Education program work in the CC to master the skills necessary to work effectively with young children. The Community College of Denver offers an A.S. and A.G.S. degree as well as Group Leader and Director Certificates in Early Childhood Education (ECE). For a complete description of the ECE program visit the campus website at www.ccd.edu.
What is the Children's College mission? Help each child grow and develop in a safe environment that promotes creativity, discovery, positive self-esteem, and a passion for life-long learning. We will create a partnership with families to enhance social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development among our children. We will provide a positive environment for our staff which strives toward professional development, fulfillment, and gratification. The Children’s College will make a difference in the lives of the families we serve, the college students we mentor and prepare, and in the profession and field of Early Childhood Education.
What is a lab school? - A lab school is a window into children’s learning. It is a place that makes learning visible and supports the role of the teachers as a researcher. The lab school provides all members of the Community College of Denver Early Childhood Education community opportunities to explore, reflect, and construct knowledge within a group. Early Childhood Education students will observe children from the observation rooms and participating in the children’s classrooms. The rich experiences at the CC will facilitate the development of thoughtful and respectful teachers of young children throughout our community.
What is play-based curriculum? - Play is children’s self-chosen process of recreating experience in order to understand it.” -Reynolds & Jones, Master Players, 1997
At the Children’s College, children’s play is supported by the thoughtful array of activities that the teacher presents. Play allows the whole child to develop. Children grow intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally and creatively. Teachers in a play-based program that reflects children’s changing interests and abilities, create an environment and corresponding curriculum that encourage children’s explorations. Teachers at the CC take the time to listen to children, engage them in conversations, and closely observe the ways they interact with others. Teachers use these observations to help children think about their thinking. Creative Curriculum and the Project Approach enable children to solve a problem or answer a question as they learn to make sense of their world. Children review their current knowledge about a topic, make hypotheses and predictions, and then, within a group, explore, research, interview, discuss, reflect and even change their point of view as they share their ideas. The program develops relationships between the children, their families, and the adults within the center. Young children are developing trust, a sense of self, and initiative. Each child’s teacher creates a trusting relationship which supports that child’s learning. The Children’s College play-based curriculum fosters an integrated community of learners.
What other programs and initiatives does Children’s College participate in?
Early Reading First: The program supports the development of early childhood centers of excellence that focus on all areas of development, especially on the early language, cognitive, and pre-reading skills that prepare children for continued school success.
Qualistar Early Learning: Colorado is the first state in the nation to combine a thorough early care and education accountability system with a statewide network of resource and referral agencies. Qualistar is committed to improving early learning experiences for all children by developing and implementing a statewide early childhood education system that empowers both providers and parents.
Denver Preschool Program: DPP is a program that provides a monthly tuition credit ranging from $34 to $1,000 per child per month to qualified families who live in Denver county. The tuition credit is based on family income, family size, and the quality rating of the preschool your child attends.
|