Educational Philosophy
The Learning Center K-8 School is committed to:
The Creative Process
Exploration of the creative process within the arts and sciences allows students to engage aesthetically, make meaning of their world, and find their expressive voices.
Fostering Curiosity
At The Learning Center we allow the child’s natural curiosity to direct his or her learning. Our multi-age classrooms, with planned developmentally appropriate learning goals, allows room for sparks of enthusiasm and insight that come from each unique group of students.
Exploration
Interdisciplinary thematic units are developed to give students the opportunity to investigate problems and discover solutions in many different ways. Asking the children to explore through authentic situations cultivates critical thinking skills. As children acquire core knowledge and skills, they are able to use what they’ve learned to understand multiple perspectives and to be self-reliant problem-solvers.
The Individuality of the Child
The Learning Center believes that each and every child has the potential to bring something unique and special to the world. Our environment allows for a community of learners achieving across all academic levels, using different learning styles. We value each child's individual way of learning and unique strengths and use these to inform our teaching and our curriculum.
Collaboration, Communication, and Community
Collaboration and communication are key components in meeting the needs of the whole child. Students, parents, teachers, and community members are all respected contributors to our learning environment within and outside of the school. We work cooperatively to create a hands-on learning atmosphere that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invites the sharing of ideas. All voices are valued and welcomed in our inter-generational school community.
Our Story
Over 30 years ago, after much reading, research, and contemplation of the work of educators such as John Dewey and Maxine Greene, a wise woman by the name of Jan Hyatt began to wonder about the stories, songs, and dances of childhood. What happened to them as children grew? Where did the creative spirit within the child go? She brought two other women into this conversation, Mary Moody, and Dana Hunter.
During the summer of 1990, these women began to explore this question through an arts-infused summer camp. This three-week experience honored the stories, songs, and dances that the children created and gave them a voice with which they could express themselves. Twenty years later Dana Hunter Yeager, who now had three children of her own, decided to nurture these ideas further by creating an independent elementary school.
Inspired by her graduate work in education at Antioch New England, with their focus on child-centered, experiential, collaborative learning, as well as the best of what she'd seen in public and private schools for more than 10 years, she knew - both as an educator and as a mother - that something more was possible.
She wanted the opportunity to have the curiosity of her own children nurtured. She wanted them to know that their unique ideas mattered. She wanted to instill in them a love of exploration, discovery, and problem solving. And she wanted to make this possible for all children in the community, not just her own. So, in 2011 the Creating Landscapes Learning Center was founded with 3 teachers and 14 students in kindergarten through second grade.
These teachers, students, and their parents became an extremely special collaborative community devoted to fostering curiosity in children and allowing them to explore their ideas. Teachers guided children to create, helped them to find their voice, and let them know that their ideas were heard.
Over the next ten years the school grew to four multiage classrooms, The Novices, The Players, The Apprentices, and The Voyagers, providing a respectful, loving, nurturing environment for approximately 80 students to learn and grow. The Creating Landscapes Learning Center became The Learning Center K-8 School in 2019 and continues to foster a community of learners who can delve into the ideas and challenges that we face in this world and go out into our community and make a difference.