About Us
Our Vision
At Mile Hi Enrichment Center, we envision partnering in the care and recognition of children as innate learners, seeking to unfold, guide, and cultivate their own knowledge through play and relationships that are deeply supportive and congruent with the true needs of both child and family.
Curriculum
The curriculum at MHCEC is a play-based, child-led, and teacher-supported model that is inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, the natural world, and current research in best practices in Early Childhood Education. We follow an emergent curriculum style that is ever evolving based on the needs and interests of each of our classes. The teachers work together with each other and students to provide developmentally appropriate experiences that work to build up the whole child as an individual and as a member of the group and the community as a whole.
Learning Stories
MHCEC uses learning stories as a means of documenting learning and building curriculum. Learning stories are a narrative way to document and assess children's learning experiences, focusing on their strengths and dispositions. They are written as stories, often about a child's play or interactions, and shared with the child and their family to celebrate their learning journey.
Community Events
At MHCEC community events are a special way to learn, grow, and connect. Everyone is welcome to attend! Our community events have included our fall and winter galleries, spring variety show, and kids only movie night.
Toileting
At MHCEC decisions about toilet training are made by families, and collaborated on with teachers. We strongly believe it is most respectful to children to not attempt to toilet train children until they can communicate or otherwise indicate need, help manage their own clothing, and be able to access toileting facilities.
Arts Education
Here at MHCEC we respect that every child has 100 languages beyond spoken language, as espoused by Loris Malaguzzi who founded the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. To support expressive communication we have dedicated art and music teachers, an Atelier (studio) with dedicated space for art, and children engage in open ended arts experiences on daily basis.
Connection with Mile Hi Church
The principles of honoring and respecting the child’s individuality and their value in the collective community come from the root of Mile Hi Church’s philosophy which carries a devout respect and wonder for all religions, paths, people, experiences, and cultures that comprise our world. Our school’s ability to embrace and explore various early childhood philosophies coincides with our deepest held principals and the core values of our program and Mile Hi Church.
While the Mile Hi Children’s Enrichment Center has no planned curriculum for religion or spirituality, the religions and spiritually of our families are respected and woven into our community and curriculum.