Bloomington Center for Global Children (BCGC)

Temwayaj

“My 4-year-old has been attending BCGC for two years. My 2-year-old has been attending BCGC since he was 4 months old. Both had limited Spanish exposure before coming to BCGC. Both children are fully bilingual in English and Spanish. They both have had the same teachers for the entire time. This continuity of care and learning has completely eliminated time lost to classroom transitions (developing trust in the caregivers and continuity of education). My children LOVES their teachers and are excelling in all areas of her development (motor, social, cognitive, emotional).” - Melissa P

Filozofi

Our programming and core principles:

Continuity of care: As children grow and ‘graduate’ to a room for older children, the teachers advance with the cohort. This model supports the development of secure attachments between children and their caregivers.

Spanish immersion: Each day is conducted mostly in Spanish, with teachers switching to English as needed—this ability and willingness to switch to English is important for children that join our program at a later age and may not have been exposed to Spanish. Exposure to multiple languages helps children develop a strong understanding of language, enhances language development, and improves cognitive abilities, especially problem solving. Because our goal is to foster a truly global and international perspective, we are proud to care for many children whose families speak languages other than English or Spanish. 

Play-based learning: Play is the most developmentally appropriate method for learning for young children. It provides more meaningful learning experiences, allowing children to form a deeper understanding of the learned material. In addition, play leads to enhanced cognitive function through movement, planning, sequencing, and decision making. Our teachers create daily lesson plans to provide hands on experiences for the learning of math, science, and literacy. These experiences emphasize sensory, fine motor, gross motor, and dramatic play development. Teachers incorporate music, art, and nature to aid in the development of the whole child.

Fresh foods with international influence: We provide breakfast, lunch, and two snacks daily. All of our food is prepared fresh and on site in our certified kitchen by a full time cook. Our menus are designed with some international influence to expose children to a variety of flavors. Our produce is all organic, our meat and dairy is all hormone and antibiotic free and, in addition, our meat is all locally sourced (from Fischer Farms). 

Social Learning:

We recognize that social learning is as important as academic learning during the preschool and nursery years. We teach tolerance and appreciation for the similarities and differences of others. We emphasize the virtues of respect, collaboration, self-regulation, communication and happiness.

We proudly follow the MindUP program. MindUP directly affects student learning, attitudes and behaviors by imparting knowledge of how the brain works and through the acquisition of social and emotional skills and strategies and enhanced self-awareness. MindUP is anchored in current research in cognitive neuroscience, evidence-based classroom pedagogy, best-practices mindful education, precepts of social and emotional learning (SEL) and guiding principles of positive psychology. MindUP is a family of social, emotional and attentional self-regulatory strategies and skills developed for cultivating well-being and emotional balance. To learn more about this curriculum, visit their website: http://www.thehawnfoundation.org/mind

Our Curriculum:

• We are a play-based program with a focus on play with purpose. We believe that young children need long chunks of uninterrupted time to play in an environment that offers a rich array of materials and experiences. Our teachers focus their planning on adjusting the environment to support the individual level of growth and interest of the children in our care.
• We support children in exploring their world and developing their natural curiosity, creativity and desire to learn. The children we care for receive the individual attention they need to reach their full potential, at their own pace.
• We are proud participants in the State of Indiana’s voluntary childcare quality rating program Paths to QUALITY. The State has recognized that we continuously develop skills and knowledge, create a safe and healthy place for children to grow, and believe in providing better childcare for brighter futures.
• We view the home as an extension of the school and the school as an extension of the home. Parental participation is welcome and encouraged. Let us join you in developing your child’s potential.

Kote

One side of our Center is along N. Walnut street. The Bloomington Center for Global Children building is next to CVS N. Walnut and the parents entrance is accessed through a small alleyway after 15th street.

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www.centerforglobalchildren.org

Our Mission: to provide a multilingual and nurturing early education environment for young children that supports their physical and social emotional development, while encouraging them to care for themselves, their community, and their planet.

Our History: BCGC started as a home daycare in 2008 and by 2012 had move to its current location, in the heart of Bloomington. In 2017 a parent-lead Board of Directors assumed ownership and operations, retaining the core principles and the majority of BCGC’s teaching and support staff. Currently, BCGC is lead by an Executive Director, with the ongoing support of the Board of Directors.