The Discovery Center's Mission
The mission of The Discovery Center is to provide a high-quality early childhood experience for young children. In order to achieve this, The Discovery Center strives to provide an environment where each child is able to approach optimum physical, social, emotional, aesthetic, and intellectual growth.
Program Goals and Outcomes
Reflecting this philosophy, The Discovery Center's program goals promote development of the following characteristics in each child:
| curiosity | acceptance of others |
| independence | self-control |
| self-confidence | cooperation |
| adaptability | trust |
| creativity | verbal ability |
| physical, social, and intellectual awareness |
skills appropriate to the child's developmental state |
The process of acquiring any of these characteristics requires that a child have a good self-concept. Thus, the first goal of the school for each child is the development of a good self-concept on which other desirable personal characteristics can be built. The Discovery Center's program is designed to enhance the development of each child. Positive attitudes of the staff help promote a good self-concept in each child. The program emphasizes active use of space and a variety of opportunities for appropriate early childhood experiences.
Toward this end, each child is encouraged to explore "discovery centers" set up by the staff throughout the facility and to participate in a full range of activities occurring throughout the day. While many of the classroom activities involve children exploring their interests individually or in small groups, daily large group activities are also planned.