Summary
The Center for Young Children (CYC) as an academic unit in the College of Education, is a full day lab preschool and kindergarten program for children ages 3 – 6 whose parents are primarily students, staff or faculty located at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. From our demographic profile, CYC has an international student body representing over 25 different countries. For current children and families we wish to pass on our goals, ideas, and methods supporting sustainability to future generations.
It is the policy of the classrooms at the CYC to have two outside play times every day if the weather permits. Each playtime lasts around an hour. Children go out to explore, rain, snow or shine.
Playing outside in the fresh air gives children an opportunity to run, move and enjoy the gardens and environment. Nature has so much to offer. Children observe plants and wildlife in a naturalistic setting. Parents are asked to provide necessary clothing appropriate for the weather.
Our curriculum is based on project work where children do in-depth studies of a topic in the "here and now". All domains are covered within the study topic. Throughout the years many of these topics are nature based or environmental in content, such as trees, birds, seeds and recycling. Each study typically runs six to eight weeks.
As is stated In the University of Maryland’s strategic plan, The University wants to take “responsibility for the future” and so does CYC. The University of Maryland strategic plan states,” We will be a campus that is a model for the sustainability of its environment and we will be a university that seeks solutions to the world’s most challenging and vexing problems”. The CYC has been moving forward to become a model “Green” school as members of the University of Maryland community. We work to assess our usage of water, paper, and food disposal, purchase and replace wasteful equipment
and strive to behave in an Eco-friendly way. For the Center for Young Children one of our goals is to have the youngest “Terps” attend a green school and develop lifelong conservation behaviors.
It is the policy of the classrooms at the CYC to have two outside play times every day if the weather permits. Each playtime lasts around an hour. Children go out to explore, rain, snow or shine.
Playing outside in the fresh air gives children an opportunity to run, move and enjoy the gardens and environment. Nature has so much to offer. Children observe plants and wildlife in a naturalistic setting. Parents are asked to provide necessary clothing appropriate for the weather.
Our curriculum is based on project work where children do in-depth studies of a topic in the "here and now". All domains are covered within the study topic. Throughout the years many of these topics are nature based or environmental in content, such as trees, birds, seeds and recycling. Each study typically runs six to eight weeks.
As is stated In the University of Maryland’s strategic plan, The University wants to take “responsibility for the future” and so does CYC. The University of Maryland strategic plan states,” We will be a campus that is a model for the sustainability of its environment and we will be a university that seeks solutions to the world’s most challenging and vexing problems”. The CYC has been moving forward to become a model “Green” school as members of the University of Maryland community. We work to assess our usage of water, paper, and food disposal, purchase and replace wasteful equipment
and strive to behave in an Eco-friendly way. For the Center for Young Children one of our goals is to have the youngest “Terps” attend a green school and develop lifelong conservation behaviors.
Top-Five List
1-Earning the NWF's EcoSchool Green Flag Award
March 6, 2017- The Center for Young Children successfully completed re-certification for the Eco-School USA Green Flag award. This award is put on by the National Wildlife Federation and comprises seven steps. The steps include forming a team to facilitate completing the steps. The CYC has a strong Green Committee made up of staff, parents, and the outside community that meets monthly, usually by email. There is also a Kindergarten component of the Green Committee, who conduct meetings in their classroom to do things like talk about waste and make posters and signs. The Committee came up with the slogan, "The CYC Saves Energy" which was voted on by the children and the PTP. An audit is conducted with the children helping check for things like drafts around the windows, cracks in the foundation, and weighing trash, compost, and recyclables.
2-Earning the UMD's Gold Office Award
April 2018- The CYC recertifies for this UMD award yearly. Highlights are buying fair-trade coffee and tea, waste-free meetings, and staff salad bar Mondays where everyone contributes one thing to a community salad.
3- The CYC's Two Little Free Libraries
The CYC has an adult and a children's Little Free Libraries. Greg Thompson, one of our community members had them made from reclaimed materials. PTP members volunteer to steward them. PTP steward Priya V. repainted them this year.
The CYC has an adult and a children's Little Free Libraries. Greg Thompson, one of our community members had them made from reclaimed materials. PTP members volunteer to steward them. PTP steward Priya V. repainted them this year.
4- Trash-Free Tuesdays
The CYC has had a long going tradition of Trash Free Tuesday and the children weigh and graph the landfill trash made each week. The amount has consistently been in the range of 4 ounces.
The CYC has had a long going tradition of Trash Free Tuesday and the children weigh and graph the landfill trash made each week. The amount has consistently been in the range of 4 ounces.
5- The Many Gardens around the CYC
In addition to the rain garden, smelly garden, and vegetable garden on the playground, each classroom has their own garden right out their backdoor.