Preschool Labs: Young Minds at Work, Bright Futures Ahead

“Maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to America’s success. But if we want to win the future, then we also have to win the race to educate our kids.” President Barack Obama, January 2011

They don’t know it yet, but the young preschoolers bouncing around the halls and classrooms each school day at the Prisco Community Center are the future of our country.

The same 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds who are creating finger-paint art today could, in just a few short decades, be applying those creative and innovative skills as leaders in the worlds of science, technology, engineering and math.

The prospects and possibilities are especially exciting for Sara Cass, coordinator for the Fox Valley Park District’s Creative Play Preschool program. Her students may only be a couple years out of diapers, but that makes them the perfect candidates for accelerated learning.

Cass is launching a pair of “lab” classes in January that will provide forums for her young students to explore a variety of topics in-depth. Geography and science are the first to be unveiled, with new topics to explore each season, and math and early literacy on deck this spring.

Tapping into a child’s curiosity can open vast worlds of new discoveries for a growing mind. 

“Everything is new to them at that age,” Cass explained. “They get caught up in the excitement of learning, so providing them with these experiences at an early age is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression.”

Cass related a story about teaching kids how milk gets from the farm to their refrigerator at home—a lesson that included milking the dairy cow. Learning about science doesn’t necessarily have to be a science.

“They (students) need to live it and see it in its many different forms,” said Cass. “The best teaching method at that age is total immersion.”

And so it will be with the Cass’ upcoming Afternoon Labs. Children in the geography lab will explore different cultures, customs and food, right down to wearing the clothes, carrying out ethnic practices and tasting the food. Similarly, the science lab, like the dairy cow lesson, will be full of hands-on demonstrations and interactive learning.

These enrichment classes dovetail nicely with a growing consensus nationwide to educate and produce future scientists and innovators. Educators and politicians across the country are coming together to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiatives that will groom the leaders for tomorrow.

That’s right, those energetic half-pints in Cass’ classes who are asking her for a bathroom pass today will soon play a key role in the sustained growth and stability of the U.S. economy and America’s future as a world leader.

“We don’t have a brain to waste,” said former Nobel Prize winner Dr. Michael Brown. “We must demystify math and science so that all students feel the joy that follows understanding.”

As Cass can attest, every time that light bulb goes on and a child “gets it,” the future becomes that much brighter for all involved.

Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District. Contact him at jlong@fvpd.net.