By Brendan O'Callaghan, Director, Public Affairs, Sarah Lawrence College

Dec. 23, 2020: At the Sarah Lawrence College Early Childhood Center, the youngest members of the Sarah Lawrence community are immersed in experiential learning with hands-on discovery and engagement with their peers. 

Faced with the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center’s director, Lorayne Carbon, considered how her program could approach the fall semester and stay true to its philosophy of learning. The Center developed an innovative solution that prioritized student learning and development and community health. For a modern program based on current research regarding child development, the approach was decidedly old school.

“We have a very large tent,” Ms. Carbon said in an interview. “Everything we know about COVID-19 suggests that being outside is exponentially safer than indoors. While we’d certainly prefer to have full use of our facilities, a tenet of our curriculum is in the importance of being outside and engaging with each other and with the natural world, so our decision to conduct the semester in-person and fully outdoors was a perfect match.”

Nestled into two separate enclaves of the Sarah Lawrence College campus, the Early Childhood Center typically has students ranging from two to six years old. This September, however, due to New York State and CDC requirements, Ms. Carbon, her lead teacher, and two graduate student teaching assistants welcomed only five and six-year-old students to campus.

With the exception of two high wind days and one snowstorm, and aided by a large heater, the group conducted lessons, learning, and playing entirely outside.

“Our students, families, and teachers have been wonderful - they took a leap of faith, and we were able to really create something special,” Ms. Carbon said. “While learning might look different right now, the opportunity for our students to come together every day, to see each other, to play, and to learn and challenge themselves has been truly fantastic. Our small size and flexibility have made this semester possible, and we are very much looking forward to reconvening in the spring!”

What’s on tap for the spring? A substantial amount of outdoor time for students and an increase in indoor facility use. The Center also anticipates welcoming all class cohorts for the fall of 2021;

For more information about the Center and its philosophy and how to apply for admission, please visit their website.