Mission

Our programs are responsive to the changing needs of society; relevant to the goals of our students and community partners; rich in opportunities for independent and collaborative study, research and practical application; and reflective of the traditions of excellence, innovation and leadership that distinguish the University of Michigan.

We accomplish this mission by:

• Integrating teaching, research and service in ways that enhance the learning experience
• Providing a dynamic environment where innovation, openness and creativity are fostered
• Using advanced technologies to meet changing educational needs and establish links with the global community and
• Forging partnerships with business, industry, educational institutions and government agencies

We strive to be the institution of choice in southeastern Michigan for individuals and organizations that value accessibility, flexibility, affordability, diversity and preeminence in education.

The mission of the Early Childhood Education Center is threefold, that is to serve as a(n):

• Early learning center educating the whole child physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, linguistically and aesthetically to develop 21st century thinkers and leaders.
• Model teacher preparation site to educate University students for positions in the early childhood and elementary teaching profession.
• Research site for studying the development of young children and the best practices for their education and care.

Strategic Planning:

The strategic plan for the ECEC mirrors the strategic plan for the University of Michigan-Dearborn. UM-Dearborn's plan can be found here: https://umdearborn.edu/strategic-planning 

Student Experience and Success

Our philosophy focuses on students leading the project work in the classroom. Using the Reggio-Emilia philosophy, our curriculum centers around the interests of our children which leads to project work. The in-depth projects are emergent, study concepts, ideas, and interests which have been identified through questions posed by children. Projects can vary in length (i.e. one week, a month, or year) depending on the continuation of inquiry from children and the educational research that takes place among the children (even smaller learning groups) and teachers. Throughout a project, intellectual, expressive, problem solving, social and physical skills are enhanced. Children are making decisions and choices about the direction of study. With the support of the teacher, how to research a topic, the representational medium that will demonstrate and showcase the topic and the selection of materials needed to represent the work are all identified by children and supported by the teaching team. Long-term projects or progettazione, enhance lifelong learning.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

As with the University, we strive to create an inclusive environment for all. The community we serve is diverse not only in race but in economics. Our staff and students reflect this. We have tuition classrooms but also have classrooms that service students that have risk factors impacting their education. These classrooms offer a free, four-day preschool through Michigan’s Great Start to Readiness Program. The classrooms follow the same curriculum as our tuition-based programs. Our volunteers, practicum students, and teaching team come from a range of backgrounds and all pass the same background checks and complete the same trainings. 

Faculty and Staff Excellence

As with the university, we expect our educators to have the expertise and talent to engage and educate our students. All of our lead educators have degrees in Early Childhood and are required to take 24 hours of professional development a year. They each have training in the Reggio-Emilia Curriculum Model. 

Economic Sustainability

The ECEC balances high quality programming with comparable pricing for other early childhood programs in the area. To aid in setting tuition rates, we look at price comparisons, programming costs, past budget trends, and future goals. We take these factors into account when creating our budget, which not only is approved by our ECEC administration, but The College of Education, Health, and Human Services at the University of Michigan- Dearborn. Through these methods, we assure that we are on target for the current school year along with future years.