Orlando Science Center STEM Preschool is Now Accredited
Orlando Science Center STEM Preschool is Now Accredited – Orlando Science Center’s STEM Preschool has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)—the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children. NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous and transformative quality-improvement system that uses a set of 10 research-based standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality-improvement in high-quality early learning environments.
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What:
To earn NAEYC Accreditation, Orlando Science Center’s STEM preschool went through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to verify and ensure that the program met each of the ten program standards, and hundreds of corresponding individual criteria. NAEYC-accredited programs are always prepared for unannounced quality-assurance visits during their accreditation term, which lasts for five years.
In the 30 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 6,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC—less than10 percent of all childcare centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition.
“It is so gratifying to have earned this endorsement and high mark of quality from NAEYC, who is a leader in the field of early childhood education,” said JoAnn Newman, president and CEO of Orlando Science Center. “In 2009, we created our preschool to build essential STEM skills in our community’s children while supporting the social, emotional, cognitive and physical development they needed for lifelong learning and wellbeing.”
Capitalizing on the resources available through the exhibits just outside the classroom, Orlando Science Center was the first in our community to integrate STEM learning with the preschool curriculum. The STEM Preschool uses Creative Curriculum, which nurtures a child’s development not only intellectually, but also socially and emotionally. Each day is filled with exploring the world through a child’s five senses and incorporates weekly themes that use the Science Center’s exhibits to support lesson plans.
With a curriculum based on NAECY’s standards and requirements of the Florida Department of Education, the STEM Preschool provides a setting that identifies and meets individual learning styles while stimulating progression at a child’s own pace. Literacy, music, art, motor development, math and science are all regular parts of the preschooler’s daily experience.
NAEYC accreditation is the latest accolade for the STEM preschool, which has been certified by the Florida Department of Children and Families and is an approved Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten facility. The program is operated by Orlando Science Center’s credentialed and highly trained early childhood/elementary education staff. This unmatched preschool approach helps create early STEM learners, who grow into strong problem solvers, good communicators, creative thinkers and creative innovators.
More Information:
Orlando Science Center’s STEM preschool can accommodate up to 73 children daily, Monday through Friday for ages three to five, with VPK available daily for four-year-olds. The program is now enrolling for the 2023-2024 school year and is licensed by the Department of Children and Families – Childcare Center C09OR0729.Open to any child and family regardless of race, ethnicity, faith or creed. For information on tuition fees and curriculum, please visit www.osc.org/preschool. Interested caregivers can schedule a tour by calling 407-514-2112.
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