Child Development Centers
Drawing by Jannah Rose
Age 4
Pierce College is a a community of learners. Our community is built on a foundation of respect and openness to change. Together we strive to meet the needs of our diverse community and develop each member's abilities. Our commitment to quality education and teaching excellence prepares learners to live and work successfully in an ever–changing world.
Growing out of the College's “community of learners” concept, Child Development Centers provide affordable and accessible child care in a quality early childhood environment that recognizes children, parents and staff as part of a campus–based learning community.
Pierce College Child Development Centers are places where the needs of the child come first. We see ourselves as an extension of the family home providing a caring, warm, and nurturing place for children and their families. In doing so, we succeed by tapping into the educational power of family life. Our program is built on the cultural background and environment of each family. In addition, we see ourselves in partnership with the community as we all come together to help children grow, develop and reach their potential.
We believe children have enormous potential and capability. We believe that we must give them the same trust, patience, dignity, and respect we would offer anyone embarking on an important and serious educational journey. We believe we can best guide children by listening to them. We believe we are in a partnership with parents and the community.
Our children are living messages we send to a future we may not see.
– John W. Whitehead
Our teaching methods identify and honor children as prepared, competent and ready to learn. Children come with potential, curiosity, and interest in forming relationships and engaging in social interactions with others and their environment. Teachers are there to set the environment and guide children in their learning and discovery. Parents and community members work as partners with the teacher. The environment in the classroom, on the playground and in the community also serves as a teacher. The relationships between all of these components are keys to the child's growth and development.
Our buildings and landscapes are laboratories – places where children can explore and experiment. The buildings are designed to provide the best use of light and space and serves as an inspiration for children and for adults to explore and learn together. We encourage children's learning by recording their thoughts, ideas in writing, in pictures and on tape.
Children strive to understand the world and how it functions by making their own theories. Our program provides them with the opportunity to experiment with and test these theories. Our teachers, in partnership with families and the community, create the learning environment and facilitate and document the learning that takes place here.
