We believe that children and adults construct knowledge with others. Our primary goal is to create a pedagogy of collaborative inquiry--one in which teachers, children, and parents construct knowledge in relation as processes of learning are developed that support inquiry (e.g., resourcefulness, critical thinking, problem-solving, autonomy, and deliberate attention). Consequently, we strive to create group experiences in which children will develop relationships with people, materials, and space from which discoveries can be made. It is the responsibility of teachers to purposefully create and provoke rich experiences for child discovery and to extend previous, more serendipitous experiences that occur at home, school, and in the greater community. As such, teachers function as active partners with children and their parents so that the learning context is relevant and meaningful to the lives of children enrolled at the Child Study and Development Center.

We strive to respect and value the differences in each child and family in our community through all that we do. We value the development of strong relationships with families and colleagues in order to better understand how we can respond to cultural and historical differences in experiences, values, and practices. We offer an environment that welcomes and celebrates the sharing of family history and culture in the classroom in meaningful ways. In our curriculum we are intentional in providing children with opportunities to explore similarities and variation, and we are responsive to the questions that emerge.

We support children in being active participants in their world by connecting them to their community in ways that foster an understanding of diversity and an ability to effect change. We are committed to an open and ongoing dialogue among colleagues, families, and the students we mentor, seeking insight into how we contribute to social bias and the process of change. As adults we strive to be models of active participation in our field by speaking out against bias and seeking equity.