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Who We Are: Joyful Learners in an Academic Setting
Botanic Gardens Children's Center is one of
six childcare centers affiliated with Harvard University. Originally the
Harvard Law School Child Care Center, we have been serving the Harvard and
Cambridge communities since 1971. In 1999, our unique early care and
education program moved to its new and expanded home, which was specifically designed
for young children. With the new location came our new name: Botanic Gardens
Children's Center. Our current site was once a botanical garden for Harvard
and is still dotted with exotic trees and plants.
A nonprofit corporation, BGCC is governed by a board of directors
made up of parents and staff. The Center's families are commited to academic
excellence and cultural diversity—a commitment BGCC matches with its emphasis
on individual learning, hands-on activities, and a language-rich environment.
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Research has shown that relationships are the basis of learning. Our teachers
provide genuine, respectful nurturing of their students—the heart of
caring—helping to build a secure foundation for children to explore
the world around them. Children are encouraged to be active learners, to make
choices and gradually learn to understand the consequences of their
experiences with each other and with the environment.
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At BGCC, the curriculum grows from the interests expressed by children.
Teachers discover what children are captivated
by and develop learning opportunities from there. In the preschool rooms,
for example, exploration may be organized around themes such as sea
life, baseball, families, grocery shopping, or even Peter and the Wolf.
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At BGCC, we appreciate that each child is unique yet also part of a larger community "tree" of
learners. We serve the Cambridge metropolitan
area as well as Harvard, and many of our parents are visiting scholars from
other countries. It's not uncommon to hear four or five languages spoken
in the same classroom. Recent BGCC families have come from China, Korea,
Japan, France, Italy, Poland, Germany, and Peru.
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