Children's Center

ASI Children's Programs enriches the development of young children, provides students, faculty and staff parents a safe and stimulating environment for their children and improves family life through parent education. Additionally, ASI Children’s Programs provides Cal Poly students with employment opportunities and an environment to study the development of young children.

The Children's Center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) www.naeyc.org and certified as an Outdoor Classroom Demonstration Site.


children in the certified outdoor classroom
Expanding new skills

Infant-Toddler Program

A child goes through rapid changes during the first three years of life and the Infant-Toddler program is designed to accommodate these changes in all areas of development including: physical, emotional, social and cognitive. This program has an array of stimulating activities and materials balanced by a daily routine that provides security and predictability for the children.

A respectful approach to care is the foundation for the infant and toddler rooms. Our program encourages parent involvement. Our parents are always welcome to spend time in the classroom, especially those parents who wish to come during the day to breastfeed their infants.

Transitional Program

This unique program for children two to three years of age provides transition time from toddler-hood to preschool.

In the transition program, children learn how to express their newfound desire for control and autonomy and at the same time grow in their interest in their peers as they develop social skills. Children are encouraged to initiate their own activities, while adults provide appropriate choices and limits. At this age, children vacillate between wanting to do it all and wanting to be cared for like an infant. An environment that promotes the children's explosive language acquisition is prevalent in the transition room. Keeping this in mind, the teachers' approach is to model behavior and language for the children to use with each other.

Preschool

Our preschool environment focuses on collaboration, choice, negotiation and socialization. The main goal of daily interactions is to develop social competence in each child. The curriculum and classroom environment revolve around the children's interests. Teachers introduce new ideas and concepts that allow children time to explore and experiment in their own way at their own pace. Preschool offers a wealth of expanded experiences that help develop skills needed throughout life.


Kindergarten

children's center kindergarten class collaborating on a project
Following our educational approach, our kindergarten program continues to focus on the development of the whole child. Our classroom provides opportunities to explore learning areas such as art, science, literacy, mathematics, fine motor manipulation, gross motor skills, etc. In these areas, children have opportunities to make choices and initiate their own ideas, either alone or cooperatively. Our kindergarten program only accepts children who have turned five by November 1st. The program is designed to allow time for exploring, experimenting and discovering spontaneously, in addition to planned intentional work. The teachers facilitate learning experiences by answering questions and encouraging the child's natural curiosity to stimulate his or her thinking and seeking. They hope to encourage a positive approach to life-long learning in each child by fostering individual direction, self-confidence and an intrinsic sense of wonder of the world.

Poly Trekkers

poly trekkers play with water
Poly Trekkers is a summer program for school age children. Trekkers, as the name implies, are a very active group of children. Each summer the coordinating staff provides a program rich in activities, while focusing on the children's needs to relax and "hang out" with their friends. Staff provides opportunities for crafts, field trips, sports activities and a good deal of fun; all while taking full advantage of the experiences offered on the Cal Poly campus.