How We're Evolving
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide the children of UNM’s student, staff and faculty families with a high quality early childhood, educational and childcare experience. We are particularly committed to serving student families at affordable rates by working with all agencies that will subsidize their care.
We are committed to serving the College of Education and the University community by providing a model program that exemplifies cutting-edge practice in early childhood education and that provides a setting for study, observation, research and training.
Our Philosophy
We believe children at the UNMCC learn best through:
- Hands-on activities, and play inside and outside
- Music, movement, and fantasy play
- Real life experiences such as field-trips, walks, and visitors
- An environment that offers opportunities and choices that build independence
- A child-centered environment in which the children have ownership and responsibility
- Constructive, guided and trustful interactions, and relationships with their teachers
- A safe environment provided by consistency, and predictability of routines and boundaries
- Open-ended questions
- Teacher and family collaboration, and communication
- A staff that respects and understands the different ways in which children develop
- Family-style dining, which encourages language, social awareness and fine motor skills
- Teachers that facilitate their engagement, expand their experiences, and challenge and stimulate them
Our Goals
- To support the recruitment and retention of UNM student parents
- To provide an environment for research, study, and training for the University of New Mexico
- To serve as a resource for, collaborate efforts with, and be accessible to a variety of departments in the University community
- To participate in State and National initiatives in a manner that allows for feedback and input on early childhood practices
- To create strong working relationships with families, communicating the importance of the children’s early learning experiences
- To provide children with the opportunity to make appropriate choices
- To foster positive self-identity and sense of emotional well-being in children
- To facilitate the development of social skills and knowledge through cooperative play
- To respect and respond to cultural diversity
- To encourage children to think, reason, question and experiment through engagement with the environment
- To encourage language and literacy development through engagement with the environment
- To enhance physical well-being by encouraging and demonstrating sound health, safety, and nutritional practices
- To encourage the development of fine and gross motor skills
- To encourage creative expression, representation, and appreciation for the arts
- To provide the staff with opportunities for professional growth and development
- To demand a strong commitment to excellent early childhood education practice
