Campus Center for Young Children (CCYC) encourages children to flourish in an environment of grace, utilizing best practices and a child-centered approach to learning. Our stated values are:
focus on the child
environment of grace
commitment to excellence
CCYC is sponsored by College Mennonite Church, Goshen College, and Amity Corporation whose shared mission is to provide support for families as they help their children grow to be healthy, thoughtful, responsible, and spiritual individuals.
CCYC is a non-profit organization and holds its own 501(c)(3) status. CCYC is governed by the CCYC Board of Directors who volunteer their time and talents to ensure a well-run, fiscally responsible, high quality program.
Board members for the 2023-2024 school year
Jodi Beyeler, Jim Caskey, Lauren Hodges, Corine Graber Alvarez, Rocio Arevalo, Liz Andes, Clayton Miller, and Denise Murphy.
Educational Philosophy
Campus Center for Young Children focuses on a developmental approach to early childhood education as advocated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Our philosophy is based on the knowledge that children learn best when they have opportunities to explore their environment through hands-on, age and developmentally appropriate learning activities. The teachers are the architects of the learning environment; that is they use their knowledge of child development in conjunction with the needs of individual children to create a vibrant, sometimes challenging, learning environment. Children are given a variety of opportunities to engage in activities that help to develop all of the developmental domains: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and sensory.
Our curriculum also emphasizes peace education: understanding and caring about others, dealing creatively with conflict, valuing diversity and working cooperatively with one another.
CCYC is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a status that is achieved by less than 10% of early childhood programs nationally.
Accreditation by NAEYC is the Gold Standard for Early Childhood programs and evidence of a commitment to excellence. High quality early care and education programs provide a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the physical, social/emotional, intellectual, and sensory development of young children. In accredited programs you will see a play-based curriculum accented with frequent, positive interactions between teachers and children, a variety of age and developmentally appropriate activities, respect for cultural diversity, and effective administration.
Our Commitment to You
Families are a child's first and most influential teacher. Because we have a common interest in your child’s well being, we acknowledge a primary responsibility to bring about collaboration between the home and school that enhance the child’s development. Our goal is to develop a partnership with each family based on trust, respect, and a shared desire to ensure the very best care and early education experience for every child. To this end, we are committed to:
Developing relationships of mutual trust with the families we serve.
Respecting the dignity of each family and its culture, language, customs, and beliefs.
Interpreting each child’s progress to families within the framework of a developmental perspective and to help families understand and appreciate the value of developmentally appropriate early childhood practices.
In addition, we shall:
Never deny family members access to their child’s classroom or program setting.
Inform families of program philosophy, policies, and personnel qualifications, and explain why we teach as we do, which are in accordance to our ethical responsibility to children.
Inform families of, and when appropriate, involve them in policy decisions.
Maintain confidentiality and respect the family’s right to privacy, refraining from disclosure of confidential information and intrusion into family life. However, when we have reason to believe that a child’s welfare is at risk, it is permissible to share information with agencies and individuals who may be able to intervene in the child’s interest.
Early childhood is a unique and invaluable stage in the life cycle. Research shows that by age 3, 80% of the wiring of a child’s brain is already in place. This is the foundation for future learning capabilities and experiences. Everything a child experiences while in our care becomes a part of that foundation, and we take this responsibility very seriously.
“CCYC, where lifelong friendships are made!”
Our paramount responsibility is to provide safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive settings for children. We are committed to supporting children’s development, respecting individual differences, helping children learn to live and work cooperatively, and promoting health, self-awareness, competence, self-worth, and resiliency. We take our responsibilities to families and children to heart and strive to give our best every day. Being a part of CCYC is so much more than just enrolling in an early childhood program, you are joining a family. To quote an alumnus, “CCYC, where lifelong friendships are made!”