About YCSDC

Mission Statement

At Young Child Science Discovery Center, we are dedicated to the following:

• Our goals for the children are based on nurturing all aspects of every child, and recognizing that young children learn through play.

• Teachers are facilitators that help the children grow comfortable in the school environment, guide children’s interactions with each other, and with the classroom materials.

• As facilitators we recognize that every child is unique, and we will strive to encourage positive individual growth and development throughout all interactions between children, teachers, and materials.

• Young Child Science Discovery Center will provide the structure and framework for children to freely interact, and develop social skills with carefully applied guidance by the teachers / facilitators.

• Children will learn developmentally appropriate problem solving skills and techniques.

• Teachers will provide an environment that facilitates development of respect for self, peers, adults, and materials.

• Children’s choices will be an integral part of curriculum development, and teachers will respect each child’s individual freedom to follow their own interests and preferences as appropriate.

• Comprehensive, fun, appropriate, interesting academic opportunities will always be available for the times that children choose academic activities.

• Young Child Science Discovery Center will provide an environment which allows all children to develop emotionally, socially, and intellectually.

• Young Child Science Discovery Center will offer high quality early childhood experiences necessary to build a strong foundation for life.

Philosopy

At Young Child Science Discovery Center, we believe that children learn best through child-directed interaction in a carefully prepared environment. We believe that children learn through hands-on experience, and that academics must be grounded in concrete, real, child-initiated activities.

The inherent joy and wonder of early childhood are every child’s filter for interpreting and internalizing experiences. We believe that as a developmentally appropriate school we need to allow the children to learn and discover at an individual pace, without weighting one developmental achievement as more important than another.

Self-respect is the cornerstone of positive social interaction. Children need to develop a solid self image in order to appropriately handle stressful situations. Teachers need to guide children in order to help them express strong emotions appropriately during conflict situations, successes, and child-perceived failures.

We believe that a school environment is dynamic, and regularly changing thematic curriculum should be utilized throughout all learning centers to enhance children’s interests.

School needs to be enjoyable and pleasant for children, teachers, and families. The classroom environment should foster parent interaction with children at school; not just a “drop and go” utilitarian style environment.

We believe that we are obligated by our profession to provide an environment which enables and encourages children to love school.