BRIDGEPORT – Housatonic Community College’s nationally acclaimed Early Childhood Laboratory School has received a $35,413 state Department of Education grant to spruce up the facility and upgrade recreational equipment.
Thanks to the grant, the school, which has openings for the Fall semester, will obtain a new climbing apparatus that will include a climbing wall, a maze and a double velocity slide. “These will help students develop cognitive social and gross motor skills, as well as problem-solving skills,” said Director Heidi Szobota.
The lab school, which serves as a laboratory setting for HCC’s Early Childhood Education Program, provides a high quality, pre-school program for three- and four-year-old children. During a visit to the school, President Bill Clinton described it as “what every child in America needs!”
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Using Connecticut Preschool Curriculum Standards as a guide, the lab school creates a learning environment that supports the individual needs of each child in all developmental areas, including social/emotional, and literacy/numeracy cognitive skill areas. It does this by providing hands-on exploration of a wide range of materials and fostering trusting relationships.
The lab school values building strong partnerships with the families served by the program. Thus, it offers parent seminars, family programs and information about community resources.
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The school features highly credentialed teachers who hold master’s or bachelor’s degrees in education. It is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Since NAEYC accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality, early childhood education.
The lab school is open five days a week, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., 50 weeks a year. For more information, contact Szobota at 233-332-5030.
The lab school is located in Lafayette Hall on the campus of Housatonic Community College, 900 Lafayette Blvd. in downtown Bridgeport, less than 150 yards off I-95 (exit 27) and Rte. 8 (Exit 1), a block from the Harbor Yard sports complex.
