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Welcome to the Early Childhood Center/Lab School at Brooklyn College, where we are dedicated to celebrating, honoring, respecting, and creating rich and meaningful play experiences and play environments for your children. The classroom inside and out is designed to support and encourage the process of inquiry, exploration, and discovery based on your child’s innate interests, and where questions are welcomed, journeys of playfulness and curiosity are joined, and approaches to learning from a multisensory, fully embodied, and meaningful way are deeply valued.
This video will give you a more complete picture of our work.
You will see documentation in our center—these are photos of moments where children are actively constructing meaning. The documentation can take the form of a photo, written words, reflections from teachers, or even a combination of all three. This is our way to make the children’s learning visible.
“Documentation invites children to become aware of their own growth and learning—giving them a sense of value and belonging… their life and their work is valued, and they feel part of the community. To achieve this vision, we continually try to construct an alliance and coherent connection between the two worlds in which children live: home and school.”—Lella Gandini, Bambini: The Italian Approach to Infant/Toddler Care
Geeta Latchman migrated from the Caribbean to the United States, where she has worked at Brooklyn College for more than 15 years. While working at the college, she enrolled in and completed her B.A. in psychology with a concentration in childhood studies. She then went on to complete her M.S.Ed. with a specialization in school counseling and leadership and simultaneously earned her permanent certification in school counseling. Latchman believes that a good education is the most powerful asset that a person can have and that it always stays with them. “Education as a powerful and empowering asset begins with us, at the Early Childhood Center,” Latchman says, “and it is a joy to serve the children and families in their educational journey of learning and discovery.”
“Education must not simply teach work—it must teach life.”—W. E. B. Du Bois
Cathy Philbert is the administrative assistant at the Early Childhood Center (ECC). She joined the team in 2015 after spending many years in education and financial printing companies. Philbert has worked with high-level executives, business owners, and nonprofit organizations. She has a bachelor’s degree from the New York City College of Technology. She was born and raised in Brooklyn and has a son. In her spare time, she loves to volunteer with Dress for Success and NY Cares. For her, the best part about working at the ECC is seeing the growth of the children as well as assisting the families.
