• May 22-June 19, 2008 : Appplication, nomination and election of CCC Board of Trustees for 2008/2009. The CCC Committee on Trustees is in the process of preparing for the upcoming 2008 Election for Members of the CCC Board of Trustees, which begins May 22, 2008. If you're in the least bit interested in becoming a member of the Board next year, here's your chance to find out all about it!
• May 26, 2008 : CCC closed for Memorial Day
• June 14, 2008 : Penguins Saturday Work Day, 9 am - 1 pm
• June 19, 2008 : Play, Renatta Cooper. An Early Childhood Teacher Collaborative meeting, Avery Library, 1:30 pm - 3 pm

Introduction

The Children's Center at Caltech is a non-profit organization providing quality early education and care for infants, toddlers and preschool age children, for the Caltech and Pasadena communities. Caring, nurturing educators staff this outstanding program. The Center has resources to support child, staff, and parenting development. The Center also provides leadership in the early childhood field for other colleges and universities.

To accomplish all this, every effort is made to build and nurture relationships of mutual respect among the children, parents, and early childhood professionals.

Philosophy

We wish to offer the best possible experience for your family. The philosophy of the Children's Center at Caltech has its basis in a humanistic view of the child as an independent and individual learner. The aim of the program is to respond to the needs of each child as s/he develops awareness of the world and readiness for learning. Each group provides developmentally appropriate materials and activities for children in the areas of social/emotional, intellectual and aesthetic growth and psychomotor development, while fostering a positive self-concept.

Through planned activities, children are challenged to explore ideas, solve problems, and develop and expand skills, language, and concepts. Their sense of competence and self-worth is encouraged. The emphasis is on active, hands-on learning, with pre-math activities such as shape identification, shape and quantity of numbers and pre-reading activities such as alphabet bingo, dictation, and storytelling. Computer activities are offered in the older groups.

Our approach is consistent with research based on longitudinal observation of young children, which indicates that they learn best through their senses, needing many opportunities to initiate learning on their own, and needing periods of choice that alternate with periods of guidance. By means of these "age-appropriate academics," a strong foundation is built for the kindergarten experience which will follow the years at the Center.