Creating Quality School-Age Child Care Space
Reflects best practices in the design of high-quality physical environments for school-age children from kindergarten through eighth grade. By offering a place for innovative learning, creative play and relationship building, facilities for school-age child care programs have the potential to be vital community centers that support the needs of children, parents and schools. Whether a school-age program is planning modest improvements to its existing facility or undertaking major renovation or construction, this guide offers strategies for designing and equipping space in a way that supports program goals and activities. Since many after-school programs face serious space constraints, often operating in shared, borrowed and rented facilities in schools, churches or community centers, this guide includes many simple, low-cost solutions that can be easily implemented in any setting.
Introduction
These guidelines reflect best practices in the design of high-quality physical environments for school-age children from kindergarten through eighth grade (roughly ages five through fourteen).* Whether you are planning modest changes in your existing center, a major renovation, or a new construction project, this guide will offer strategies for planning, designing and equipping your space in a way that supports your program goals and planned activities.
We know that many after-school programs face serious space constraints, often operating in shared, borrowed and rented facilities, so this guide includes simple, lowcost solutions that can be easily implemented in any setting, as well as more ambitious investments.
The built environment plays an important role in shaping how we view and interact with the world around us. Think about the type of spaces that make you feel comfortable, capable, and inspired to do your best work. Just as we take time to create optimal spaces for our homes and work places, we need to consider how the physical environment can bring out the best in our children. An effective school-age space will not only be welcoming and organized, it will teach children how to value themselves, their peers, and their community by expressing their culture, encouraging their independence, and engaging their minds.
After-school spaces are unique because they are neither home nor school. They offer an opportunity to create special crossover environments where children can learn in a low-stress setting, explore new interests, and develop meaningful relationships with friends and mentors. These centers can also serve an important role in the community as a key point of contact for parents with their children’s educational experience.
Para leer esta información en español, haga clic aquí [+]...