–by Kelsey Delperdang, Kirkwood Communique’
It’s not only Kirkwood Community College students that are getting an education from morning until evening. Children from the age of six weeks up to 5 years old are learning at Kirkwood Kids child care center.
Director, Johnna Haggerty, describes Kirkwood Kids as an early childhood development center. The center currently teaches approximately 90 children. Haggerty explained that the philosophy behind Kirkwood Kids is that children learn through play and children engaged in play will learn as well as build relationships with one another.
According to Haggerty, being a part of a child’s learning experience is one of the most rewarding parts of being at Kirkwood Kids. “I love seeing the phenomenal growth of children,” she said. “When they have that ‘a-ha’ moment and figure something out,” Haggerty added.
Kirkwood Kids isn’t just a center for children to learn, it also serves as a lab component for Kirkwood students. It provides learning for a range of students, from fundamentals of oral communication to children’s literature to psychology. It also provides real life experience and field work for marriage and family students as well as nursing students.
Amanda Heim, lead teacher of hourly toddlers, explained that one of the benefits of Kirkwood Kids is getting the experience with the Kirkwood students. “I enjoy being a role model for the students,” she said.
Future plans for Kirkwood Kids include establishing a volunteer pre-K program as well as getting a larger center for the children. On top of their list is becoming reaccredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Their current accreditation expires in 2010.