|
 |
“Bridging the Generation Gap”
Operated by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA
 |
|
YMCA Center Director: Laurie Hart
Phone: 919-960-5859
7511 Sunrise Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Full Day
Open 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday
Class size: 16 children, with 2 teachers
Tuition: $900/month
Scholarships Available. Click here for an open
doors
application. |
Our Philosophy
We believe children can be empowered through everyday activities and planned opportunities to make sense of their world by expressing their ideas and expanding their knowledge. By broadening children’s relationships beyond their immediate family to include other children and adults, we can enhance children’s experiences, helping them to develop feelings of self-confidence and competence.
The teachers of the Children’s Center want to serve as facilitators and collaborators with the children to help them develop and retain their zest for life and learning as well as dispositions of curiosity and perseverance.
The residents of Carol Woods are eager to share their knowledge, experience and environment with these children who are just beginning their journey of life-long learning. The staff of Carol Woods will also be able to have their children at their work site, maintaining closer relationships within their families.
Our Program
The Children’s Center is a 5-Star, licensed program that has four classrooms for children two and a half through five years of age. Each classroom has two teachers with training, education and experience in early childhood education’s current best practices.
The classrooms are arranged in learning centers that allow the children a selection of interests and activities they can experience. Since exposure to the natural setting of the Carol Woods’ campus and experiences with the residents are an integral part of the program, the children will frequently explore the grounds surrounding the center and exchange ideas with the volunteers that will frequently help in the classrooms, as well as develop connections with those residents unable to come to the center itself.
Best Practices
In our quest to help children retain their zest for life and unending curiosity, the staff at the Children’s Center will follow the tenets of developmentally appropriate practice as defined by the National Association of Early Childhood Education (NAEYC) and the center will be pursuing accreditation with the Academy of the NAEYC within the next two years.
We will also be incorporating concepts inspired by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, a small town in northern Italy whose programs have received worldwide acclaim, known particularly for their attention to color and beauty and their respect for children’s ideas and knowledge.
Major features adapted from this approach are:
* Environment as a co-teacher
* Emergent or child-influenced curriculum
* Community connectedness
* Documentation of the children’s minds at work through words and pictures |
| |
|
|
|
