The Early Learning Campus was expressly designed for young children to engage in active, hands-on learning. Our classrooms and playgrounds feature many natural elements and open-ended loose parts. We emphasize relationships with children and families and recognize the family as the child's best teacher. Our role is to support and extend the learning children come with to our classrooms.

We believe children learn best by being active – through play, both indoors and outdoors. Learning is structured and supported by teachers as they intentionally design play opportunities and guide children with specific goals in mind for development and learning. Our skilled teachers know when to use a given strategy to accommodate individual children and the content they are learning. Social skills, problem-solving, and creativity are valued over rote learning, worksheets, and standardized products.

Our curriculum approach is based on child-centered, developmentally appropriate practices. Our research-based curriculum, Creative Curriculum, recognizes young children as capable learners who explore, wonder, test and create to build knowledge. 

The program celebrates diversity by supporting and respecting differences, as we collaboratively work with families. We also work in partnership with other departments in the College and community resources to access services and enhance the educational opportunities to benefit the children, their families, and program staff by promoting lifelong learning for all.