Mission

The Child Development Lab (CDL) is an integral part of the teaching, research, and service mission of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and School of Human Ecology. The Child Development Lab is designed to provide a population and a setting for the study of children and families.

1. MISSION

The Child Development Lab (CDL) is an integral part of the teaching, research, and service mission of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and School of Human Ecology. The Child Development Lab is designed to provide a population and a setting for the study of children and families. The CDL’s main objectives are as follows:

  1. Early Education Mission

We offer year-round programs for children ages 6 weeks-5 years. Our mission is to provide developmentally and culturally appropriate early learning experiences for children in safe, relationship-based classrooms. We model best teaching and learning practices based on research and contemporary theories of child development. An integral component of our developmental curriculum is learning through inquiry.

The CDL is currently accredited by the City of Madison Office of Community Services and The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA). Research has shown that programs that participate in the voluntary accreditation process are typically of higher quality because the accreditation standards go far beyond the mandatory regulations required by the State of Wisconsin.

  1. Teaching Mission

Part of our mission is to provide University of Wisconsin students with carefully supervised training opportunities associated with their course of study. Undergraduate and graduate students participate in internships and/or volunteer at the CDL to gain real world experiences with children, learn more about child and family development, and how to teach in an early education program. Sometimes students are given a class assignment to observe children or teachers in the classrooms. The knowledge gained from these naturalistic observations is essential for understanding child development and learning.

  1. Research

A core part of our tripartite mission is to provide a population and a setting for UW faculty and students to conduct research on issues related to child development, early learning, and family studies. Some projects are observational while others may be participatory.


Keywords:
mission, research 
Doc ID:
142978
Owned by:
Katie M. in UW Child Development Lab
Created:
2024-10-11
Updated:
2024-10-22
Sites:
UW Child Development Lab