Habersham Central Child Development Center

To provide an environment that will enrich the growth and development of the preschool children involved. This includes the child's physical-motor, intellectual-cognitive, and personal-social-emotional development
To provide a laboratory for high school students who have a genuine interest in children and are dedicated to helping educate preschoolers with the best resources available
The Early Years Are Learning Years!

The Habersham Central Child Development Center is operated by the HCHS Family and Consumer Sciences and Early Childhood Education Departments and is open to children four & five years of age. The center is an internship experience for students enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program. Therefore, the goal of our program is to provide a rich learning experience for the preschool student as well as the high school ECE intern. The introductory students in the program take 3 semester courses: (Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Human Growth and Development, and Health Safety and Nutrition for Young Children).  The ECE interns are selected from former introductory students as applicants, requiring three good references, essay, and criterion-based standards completion.  A full-time adult preschool teacher is always present in the program, providing instruction and guidance for the preschoolers as well as modeling performance for the interns.

Children First!

A maximum of 12 preschoolers will be admitted on a first come, first served basis. Habersham Central Child Development Center provides a structured environment that incorporates a variety of learning methods including group play, teacher-led instruction,and exploration and discovery. Each session is created and conducted by our eager high school students who plan themes and activities for the preschool children to participate in each day. A week of planning precedes every week of teaching. Lesson plans are carefully written using learning objectives, developmental goals, and state standards from Bright From the Start. Numbers, letters, shapes, colors, fine and gross motor skills, community awareness, and the arts are all a part of our developmentally appropriate program. Students also have the unique experience of one-on-one time with a teacher focusing on personal goals and needs of each child. Our student/teacher ratio allows us this benefit.

The preschool program teacher and interns use components of the Creative Curriculum framework to implement a high quality program and developmentally appropriate practice.

"Educating our next generation 's teachers and child care professionals"

Students in Early Childhood Education class are individuals that enjoy spending time with people of all ages. The project based course of study includes planning and guiding developmentally appropriate practices for working with young children. This program of study will prepare students for employment in early childhood education and related fields. Jobs might include: pediatrician, elementary school teacher, or childcare worker.

Our low teacher-student ratio promotes personal interaction between preschool and high school students. The teens enjoy listening to and talking with the preschoolers, and they develop close friendships with them. These interactions encourage the development of emotional language and social skills.