Just a stroll up from The Wallis Annenberg President’s House on Gilman Road, The Occidental College Child Development Center (CDC) is a preschool that serves families of Occidental College employees and the adjacent community, caring for their children aged two to five. Open Monday through Friday, the CDC provides a hands-on curriculum focused on exploration and readiness for kindergarten.
According to Laura Drew, CDC program director, the combination of learning and play is essential to their educational approach.
Drew said she calls this approach to learning “constructivism.” According to Drew, children need hands-on opportunities to interact with objects, materials and other people. She said that children learn during experimentation and trial and error.
The CDC’s connection and interaction with the Occidental community is limited, but it exists, Drew said. According to Drew, classes go on walks around campus every Friday and occasionally take field trips to various departments on campus, such as the Campus Dining Facilities and the Postal Operations. She said students also sing each year at Boo Bash, Occidental’s Halloween festival.
Caroline Vanderloo (junior), one of the few Occidental student workers at the CDC, said that finding out she could work at the CDC came as a bit of a shock.
“I initially found the job listing on Oxy’s student employment website and was honestly surprised,” Vanderloo said. “I didn’t even know that Oxy had a preschool.”
Vanderloo said her responsibilities vary, but mostly involve supporting the teachers in a variety of ways.
“Student responsibilities at the CDC include setting out nap mats, helping the kids fall asleep during naptime, cleaning up after meals and playing both inside and outside,” Vanderloo said.
According to Vanderloo, the CDC is split into three groups: Hungry Caterpillars (HC) ages 2 – 3, Busy Bees (BB) ages 3 – 4, and the Terrific Tigers (TT) ages 4 – 5.
She said that her experience working at the CDC was different from anything she’d done before.
“Working at the preschool was definitely an adjustment,” Vanderloo said. “While I had worked with children before, this was my first time interacting with kids this young.”
According to Vanderloo, the CDC provides its children with crucial developmental skills.
“I’m truly impressed with the independence that the preschool instills in even the youngest kids,” Vanderloo said.
Vanderloo said one of her favorite parts of working at the CDC is the connections it provided her.
“I now babysit for about 15 families in Eagle Rock, most of which have children who attend or previously attended the CDC,” Vanderloo said.
Vanderloo also said that working at the CDC lets her forget about the stressors of everyday life.
“I get to forget about my homework, upcoming tests and other commitments and simply spend a handful of hours a week with happy and giggly kids,” Vanderloo said.
Assistant Professor of Art and Art History Yurika Wakamatsu said her family has had positive experiences sending their son to the CDC. According to Wakamatsu, her son loves attending the CDC so much, it is difficult for him to leave because he enjoys his time there.
Wakamatsu said she did not know about the CDC until her son was born and that it is still a relatively new resource to her. Wakamatsu said she learned about the CDC from seeing the students on their Friday walks.
“Before [enrolling my son], we had to hire a nanny. It was much more difficult. It’s very expensive,” Wakamatsu said. “Just the fact that it’s there, it’s on campus and open during work hours — it’s just so helpful.”
Assistant Professor of Spanish and French Studies Mariška Bolyanatz Brown said she is a huge fan of the CDC. She said her children received new tools for interaction and learning.
Bolyanatz Brown said that the community of other CDC parents has been a great aspect of sending her children there.
“I know that I will always be connected to the parents that work here that are my colleagues,” Bolyanatz Brown said.
According to Drew, the community is a point of emphasis for the CDC.
“Raising a young child is the hardest job on the planet, and we want parents to know that they are supported and that they’re not alone,” Drew said. “We’re part of their team, we’re part of their family, we’re part of their community.”
Bolyanataz Brown said she also admired the teachers of the CDC.
“They’re more adults who care for [the children], and love them and teach them how to exist in the world in a kind way,” Bolyanatz Brown said. “The teachers are what makes this program run.”
According to Bolyanatz Brown, her twins aged out and graduated from the CDC last spring, but she said she still reminisces about their time at the CDC fondly.
“Our last day was sad,” Bolyanatz Brown said. “They were sad, I was really sad.”
Contact Toby Wepman at wepman@oxy.edu
