Child Development Institute Annual Report August 2011-July 2012

1 Mead Way ∙ Bronxville, NY 10708 ∙ (914) 395-2630 ∙ www.sarahlawrence.edu/cdi CDI Annual Report, 2011-2012 1

Mission and Point of View

The Child Development Institute (CDI) was established in 1987 by a dedicated group of faculty. As an outreach arm of Sarah Lawrence College, CDI’s mission is to promote a developmentally informed view of children, childhood, and education and to act as an internal resource on campus and in the community. CDI carries out its mission through public events, professional development programs, and outreach and collaborative projects.

In the progressive education perspective with which CDI identifies, the child is viewed as an individual in the social context, actively engaged in constructing knowledge through interactions with other people and the physical environment. CDI believes that the child’s educational experience should encompass social, emotional, and imaginative aspects of life in concert with intellectual development and that schools and other institutions be developed as communities that attend to the interests and needs of children from diverse backgrounds. CDI emphasizes that the individual child, as well as groups of children, should always be considered in the context of their environments—family, neighborhood, school, and culture.

Faces of CDI

The Child Development Institute staff consists of Indhira Blackwood, CDI Director, and Saundra Norton, CDI and Art of Teaching Administrative Assistant. CDI staff work closely with the CDI Faculty Advisory Group: Lorayne Carbon, Jan Drucker, Kim Ferguson, Barbara Schecter, and Sara Wilford; and CDI Professional Advisory Board Chair, Abigail Canfield. CDI has two consultants who offer their expertise: Margery B. Franklin and Yvette Richardson; and an advisory board made up of Sarah Lawrence alumnae/i and professionals in education, social work, developmental psychology, media, and advocacy, as well as others with a strong interest in children and child development. Teachers from Sarah Lawrence College’s Early Childhood Center, pop-up playground facilitators, and volunteers are also key faces of CDI.

Public Events

A series of public events sponsored by CDI each year brings the College community together with colleagues, experts, community partners, students at other institutions of higher education, and the public at large for lively presentations and discussions on a range of topics germane to children and childhood.

Cynthia Longfellow Lecture The Longfellow Lecture is an annual event, initiated in the first year of CDI (1987) and funded by an endowment established by friends and family of Cynthia Longfellow (SLC ‘72).

The 2012 lecture, “Early Childhood Development in the US: Looking Back and Moving Forward,” was presented by Dr. Joan Lombardi on April 4, 2012 to over 200 faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members. Among her many positions, Dr. Lombardi has served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs in Administration for Children and Families and as the first Commissioner of the Child Care Bureau.

“Change comes when a room full of people such as this discovers the facts and demands more for our children.” – 2012 Longfellow Lecturer, Dr. Joan Lombardi

Thomas H. Wright Lecture In 1996, the Leon Lowenstein Foundation gave a grant to launch a fund in child development honoring Thomas H. Wright, former member of the Sarah Lawrence College Board of Trustees. The Lowenstein Foundation provided additional funds in subsequent years. Following consultation, the decision was made to use the income from the fund to establish an annual lecture, the Thomas H. Wright Lecture. Since 1997, the lecture has been the keynote of the Empowering Teachers program. CDI Annual Report, 2011-2012 2

The 2012 Wright Lecture, “Teaching and Learning in a Diverse and Inequitable World,” was given by Dr. Patricia Ramsey on July 9, 2012 to over 120 educators, faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members. Dr. Ramsey is Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College and for nearly 20 years, she was Director of Mount Holyoke's Gorse Child Study Center. For more than 30 years, Dr. Ramsey has served as a consultant for a number of preschools and school systems.

“I found Dr. Ramsey’s talk on the different aspects and forms of power in education and the classroom to be thought provoking on both a professional and personal level.” – 2012 Wright Lecture Attendee

Professional Development Programs

Professional development programs are a core commitment for CDI. These programs provide meaningful educational experiences for participants; keep the CDI’s thinking and practice energetic and informed; and serve as laboratories for exploring ideas.

Play’s the Thing: Facilitating Play for Young Children The Facilitating Play program was established in 2008 as an outgrowth of CDI’s strong interest in promoting and strengthening children’s play. With start-up funding from Community Playthings, this program has now served 115 professionals who are engaged with children’s play, including early childhood teachers, social workers, therapists, children’s museum educators, playground developers, parks department personnel, and graduate students in the Art of Teaching and Child Development programs. Sarah Lawrence College faculty and distinguished guest presenters facilitate the program each year.

The 2012 Facilitating Play program ran from June 10 to 12 and brought together 16 participants from diverse organizations. This year, the program kicked off with a pop-up adventure playground at Sullivan Park in Yonkers, NY on the first day. The curriculum focused on a broad range of issues, including the developmental importance of play; observation and documentation of children’s play; the role of environment in facilitating play; play advocacy; and cross-cultural perspectives on play. The participants’ evaluations of the Facilitating Play program were very positive.

“I expected to learn about the value of play. CDI surpassed my expectations and much more. The program changed my life.” – 2012 Facilitating Play Participant

Empowering Teachers Program The Empowering Teachers program was established in 1989 as a forum for professional development and support for teachers, administrators, and other professionals working with children in early childhood, elementary, and middle school settings. Sarah Lawrence faculty and distinguished guest presenters facilitate the exploration of each year’s central theme. The Empowering Teachers program typically opens with a keynote address, the Thomas H. Wright Lecture. The program has served as a resource and network for more than 340 beginning and experienced professionals from school districts in Westchester and adjacent counties in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, as well as regions as far flung as Florida, Georgia, Michigan, California, Texas, Maine, and Venezuela. Participants who complete the program receive a letter of attendance for 30 contact hours for which public school districts traditionally offer professional development credit.

The 2012 Empowering Teachers program was held from July 9 to 13 and attended by 16 participants. The program had a mix of teachers and administrators who work with children from infancy through middle childhood. Under the theme of “Bridging, Home, School, and Classroom Culture with the Child at the Center,” participants examined and discussed diversity and its many forms and the significant role it plays in classrooms. Hands-on workshops provided participants the opportunity to explore and reflect on artwork, write poetry stemming from sensory and outdoor experiences, dance, sing, and other movement activities that foster the CDI Annual Report, 2011-2012 3 mind and body connection. Small break-out sessions and large group discussions provided ample opportunity for the teachers to process their experiences, brainstorm about how best to implement such activities in their own classrooms, and share ideas, concerns, and questions. The participants’ evaluations of the Empowering Teachers program were very positive.

“I really liked getting to know this group so deeply and you gave us multiple ways to connect through dance, writing, speaking, math, visual (film), we were able to gain so much about our field and each other. “ – 2012 Empowering Teachers Participant

A significant portion of the Empowering Teachers program continues to be funded through income from the Thomas H. Wright Fund (including the Wright Lecture and other faculty expenses), as well as through CDI endowment funds generously supplemented by donations from Mariela Cisneros (in 2003) and Mary Lynn Bianco (via The Marcled Foundation in 2006).

Outreach and Collaborative Projects

In accordance with its mission, CDI pursues a range of outreach initiatives and collaborative projects.

Workshop and Speakers Bureau In 2009, CDI formally launched a Workshop and Speakers Bureau and enlisted the expertise of the ECC teachers to expand its capacity to reach beyond the campus community to connect directly with groups committed to facilitating lifelong learning. Funding from the Marilyn M. Simpson Charitable Trust, the Wallace Global Fund, and a number of individual donors supported the Bureau’s launch. CDI’s programs are designed for educators, school administrators, children’s librarians, parents, community coalitions, and others who are involved in promoting children’s creativity and healthy development. CDI addresses a range of topics and issues around children, childhood, and education, including but not limited to play, early literacy, ethics, and children and nature.

During the past year, CDI conducted the following workshops:

 Borough of Manhattan College (New York, NY): In May 2012, CDI screened Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World's Most Surprising School System and facilitated discussion with education students

 NYC Nanny Training Day (New York, NY): In April 2012, CDI screened When A Child Pretends and facilitated discussion with participants

 Riverdale Neighborhood House (Riverdale, NY): In February 2012, CDI conducted workshops for Riverdale Neighborhood House early childhood staff

 JCY Westchester (Yonkers, NY): In January 2012, CDI screened Reading with Meaning for JCY Westchester mentors and facilitated discussion on tutoring strategies and foundations of literacy

 Riverdale Nursery School (Riverdale, NY): In January 2012, CDI screened When Learning Comes Naturally and facilitated discussion for staff at Riverdale Nursery School

 Ben Franklin Elementary School (Meriden, CT): In November 2011, CDI screened When A Child Pretends and facilitated discussion for parents of children at Ben Franklin Elementary School

 JCY Westchester (Yonkers, NY): In October 2011, CDI screened From Pictures to Words for JCY Westchester mentors and facilitated discussion around foundations of literacy

 14th Street Y Preschool (New York, NY): In September 2011, CDI conducted a workshop for 14th Street Y Preschool staff

“Thanks to workshops like yours, we are recharged and rejuvenated in our goal to help our struggling students.” – JCY Westchester CDI Annual Report, 2011-2012 4

Pop-up Playgrounds Pop-up playgrounds are play experiences created by children using “loose parts” –cardboard boxes, tires, fabric, plastic bottles, recyclables, wood, and other materials. Pop-up playgrounds encourage children to use their imaginations, develop initiative, collaborate, and problem-solve using materials from their own communities.

CDI first collaborated on a pop-up adventure playground with Groundwork Hudson Valley on September 11, 2010 at Yonkers Riverfest and then conducted one on campus for Mayfair on April 30, 2011 and at O’Sullivan Park on June 18, 2011. Since August 2011, the Child Development Institute facilitated five pop-up playgrounds for children in neighboring communities:

 Iglesia Memorial de San Andres (Yonkers, NY) – In August 2011, CDI facilitated a pop-up playground for children attending summer camp at Iglesia Memorial de San Andres.

 Andrus Early Learning Center (Tuckahoe, NY) – In April 2012, CDI facilitated a pop-up playground for children who came to Andrus Early Learning Center’s community kick-off event.

 Sarah Lawrence College Mayfair (Bronxville, NY) – In April 2012, CDI hosted a pop-up playground as part of Mayfair on campus. Many children who attend SLC’s Early Childhood Center along with children of SLC faculty and staff participated in the pop-up playground.

 Sullivan Park (Yonkers, NY) – In June 2012, as part of CDI’s Facilitating Play for Young Children program, CDI staff and program participants brought a pop-up playground to children at Sullivan Park.

 Hunts Point Alliance for Children (Bronx, NY) – In June 2012, CDI collaborated with Hunts Point Alliance for Children to bring a pop-up to children in the Hunts Point neighborhood.

“The children had never done a project to that scale using recyclables and paints, so it was refreshing not only for the children, but also for the staff. It gave us the chance to see just how simple it is to set up an open space in which children can direct their own creativity.” – Iglesia Memorial de San Andres

Participation in Community Groups and Coalitions CDI faculty and staff regularly attend meetings and contribute to the following community organizations and coalitions, among others:  Alliance for Childhood  Child Care Council of Westchester  Defending the Early Years  Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges and Universities  North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)  New York Coalition for Play  OMEP-USNC (U.S. chapter of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education)  The Teacher Institute of Lower Westchester (formerly B.E.P.T. Teacher Center)  Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children  Westchester Children’s Association  Westchester Community College’s Early Childhood Curriculum Advisory Board  Westchester Library System  U.S. Play Coalition

On campus, CDI has had an active presence on committees such as the Health, Science, and Society Committee.

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Special Collaborations

Brave Girl Eating CDI, in collaboration with the Health, Science, and Society, Health Services, Early Childhood Center, Psychology Faculty and Graduate Studies at Sarah Lawrence College, sponsored a talk by Harriet Brown, author of Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle with Anorexia. Harriet Brown spoke about the Maudsley approach, also known as Family Based Therapy, her family followed to help her daughter with anorexia. She discussed her family’s experience, raised questions about psychodynamics, and discussed research findings on Family Based Therapy.

Mount Vernon Day Care Center Playground Build On Saturday, October 1st, Mount Vernon Day Care Center board and staff, KaBoom staff, Mount Vernon residents, and CDI staff and volunteers worked together as community partners to build a new playground. Child Development Institute staff and students from Sarah Lawrence College became a part of local history as they helped build a new play space for Mount Vernon Day Care Center, replacing its 39 year old play space with an updated, innovative one.

Nordic Perspectives on Caring and Teaching in Early Childhood: Implications for Success in School CDI collaborated with the American-Scandinavian Foundation to hold a symposium entitled: Nordic Perspectives on Caring and Teaching in Early Childhood: Implications for Success in School from November 11 through November 13, 2011. Leading childhood experts including professors of education and practitioners/teachers from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland presented at the symposium and facilitated discussions. Sessions addressed topics such as Nordic ideas about the “good childhood”, playing and learning in quality early childhood education, teachers perspectives and implications, and what could be learned from Nordic theory and practice in early childhood.

The symposium is believed to be the first of its kind and magnitude on this topic in the U.S. It was a tremendous collaborative effort which stimulated dialogue, sharing of ideas, and a renewed sense of inspiration and energy.

Child Development Institute and Art of Teaching Film Series CDI collaborated with the Art of Teaching graduate program to offer an inaugural film series for Art of Teaching and Child Development graduate students. The films provided opportunities for students to discuss current films on education with their peers and faculty. The Inconvenient Truth about Waiting for Superman and The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World’s Most Surprising School System were shown in Fall 2011 and American Teacher and The Class were shown in Spring 2012. Due to interest generated by the first three films, The Class film screening and discussion was made open to the campus and sponsored by the Diversity and Activism Programming Subcommittee. Over 20 people (undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, and a teacher from the community) attended the screening.

In Defense of Childhood: Keeping the Joy of Learning Alive Conference The Child Development Institute was a supporting organization of City College of New York’s “In Defense of Childhood: Keeping the Joy of Learning Alive” Conference on March 10th, 2012. Over 600 educators, students, parents, and childhood experts from around the country attended the day-long conference. Of the 39 sessions, 9 were led by experts from the Sarah Lawrence College community including faculty, staff, and graduate students from the Child Development Institute, Early Childhood Center, and the Art of Teaching graduate program. The topics of the workshops led by SLC staff and faculty included: exploring the successes of Finland's school system, advocating for play in the classroom, using metaphor and aesthetics in education, and using storytelling as a path to early literacy development.

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Resources

The Learning Child Series The Learning Child Series was produced for public television by Jonathan Diamond Associates in collaboration with CDI. All four of the films (When A Child Pretends, From Pictures to Words, Values Go to School, and When Learning Comes Naturally) continue to reach the general public, and have aired on more than 150 stations across the United States, with re-broadcasting and DVD sales expanding that reach. The documentaries are often used in CDI’s outreach with educators and parents.

Occasional Papers In 1998, CDI began a series of Occasional Papers, some written by members of the faculty advisory group and others by speakers at CDI events or other invitees. Some of the topics addressed in the occasional papers include teaching social responsibility, fostering children’s curiosity in the classroom, connections between play and literacy, creating community in the classroom, guidelines for observing young children, and nurturing children’s strengths.

Support

CDI’s programming and outreach would not be possible without the generous support of its donors and funders. As of May 31, 2012, CDI’s endowment is approximately $985,000 which is comprised of six endowment funds. The Marx Challenge and the Canfield Fund provide income for the operating budget. The Wright Fund and the Longfellow Fund provide income for two lecture programs. The Cisneros Fund supports the Empowering Teachers program. A final endowment fund (anonymous) provides for special projects.

Looking Ahead

2012 marks 25 years of the Child Development Institute promoting a progressive education philosophy and serving as a resource to the community through its outreach to teachers, parents, administrators, community coalitions, and others committed to facilitating the healthy development of children. In honor of CDI’s 25th anniversary, the Early Childhood Center’s (ECC) 75th anniversary, and Sarah Lawrence College’s long history of innovative education, CDI, ECC, and Sarah Lawrence College will be hosting a progressive education conference on April 5 & 6, 2013. The conference will address the significance and challenges of progressive education impacting children from birth to college and will kick off with the 2013 Longfellow Lecture which will be given by Professor Joseph Featherstone.

For additional information on upcoming events, programs, and additional resources, visit the Child Development Institute website at www.slc.edu/cdi.