For more than 25 years, the summer enrichment program has taught early childhood education students valuable teaching skills and served as an outlet for children from preschool to age 8, according to Sean Durham, program director and coordinator for early childhood education in the College of Education.
Starting June 8, as many as 45 children will come to a classroom in Haley Center that has been transformed by a cohort of 20 Auburn students. Durham said the students have waxed the floors, removed the tables and chairs to set up art and reading areas, which lasts two semesters.
The summer program began as a way for students to complete their practicum in the summer since public schools are not open.
This year’s theme, “Summertime in Alabama,” gives students the opportunity to teach children about different activities in Auburn such as going to Chewacla and other parks, according to Hannah Deaver, junior in early childhood education with a Spanish minor.
Deaver will be teaching the 5-7 age group and said she will let her children decide a project they want to work on centered on their interests.
“I was interested in early childhood education from a really young age, I have really always wanted to be
a teacher,” Deaver said. “I mean, everybody says they love kids, but I enjoy seeing how kids think and how they learn, and how they apply and develop knowledge.”
A vital component in studying early childhood education is understanding how environment and classroom set up affect the learning ability of a young child, according to Durham.
“About February of every year, we have parents who start calling who want to register their children, so it’s a very popular program,”
Durham said. “I would say that it benefits children in that we provide an intellectual environment for young children that allows them to create, explore, ask questions, conduct research and really begin to practice the types of skills that are gonna be really valuable in the 21st century.”
Savannah Duke, senior in early childhood education and human development and family studies, said they prepared for this program in the spring by discussing the basics of functioning in the classroom and learned guidance approaches in their summer classes.
“I like our classroom a lot, it’s funny because you put 10 teachers in a classroom and you think you’re gonna have leadership problems … but we work really well together, our class is really mellow,” Duke said. “We’re all really encouraging towards one another, it’s a really good atmosphere, and I’m excited for the kids to come into that kind of atmosphere.”
The program will end July 16. Spaces are still available.
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