Dupree Center for Children

We believe that children are active learners from the beginning of life. They construct their understanding of the world through active exploration and involvement in experiences and events. For young children, this happens primarily through what is recognized as play. Play is intrinsically pleasurable to children and allows them to create all kinds of relationships among ideas, events and people. We know that children develop in many important ways when this active approach to learning is respected and nurtured: they develop healthy self-esteem, learn to express themselves, act on their own curiosity, problem-solve and foster meaningful relationships. We encourage children to actively explore their world. We believe that young children learn best in an encouraging and well planned environment that offers appropriate levels of stimulation. This type of environment allows children to act on their curiosity, to test personal theories, to take appropriate risks and to solve problems in ways that work best for them. Another important aspect of our philosophy is creating a classroom environment that reflects an anti-bias perspective, one that supports the development of strong cultural self-identity. This anti-bias focus reflects an effort to help children appreciate diversity in all forms: family structure, culture, ethnicity, age, and ability. Additionally, children are encouraged to begin to develop critical thinking skills about bias and unfair situations.

Our philosophy reflects our belief that both qualified teaching staff and a thoughtfully prepared environment will nurture each child=s physical and intellectual development, while creating opportunities to practice the social and emotional skills necessary for living in a complex world.