General Description
The purpose of this project is to provide you with the opportunity to think about
and then actively design and plan an educationally sound, multi-culturally diverse, cognitively stimulating,
artistically and creatively supportive, environmentally correct, and technologically challenging learning
environment for young children ages birth to five, both typically developing and with special needs.  By doing
this project thoughtfully you gain an understanding of:
    1) the procedures involved in operation and administration of child-care programs, and
    2) develop an Early Childhood Manager's Portfolio (ECMP).

OPENING A CENTER
Assume that as an educators just out of college, you decide to design and operate a model program (your dream school) for young children.  Let's assume you have all the money you want to purchase location, facilities, staff, materials, etc.  Make a checklist of the agencies you need to contact and the items you need to handle.  Document all your work and include them in your report and ECMP. Click here to see what you need to do.

FINAL PROJECT SUMMARY
Compile all the information gathered and write a detailed report for this assignment.  The report should include:
    a) a brief introduction summarizing your decision and rationale for the selection of your
    program type 
    b) needs assessment survey and results
    c) description of your center (e.g., name, location, group size, number of classrooms,  number of
    children enrolled, ages of children, personnel, organization, sponsorship, operating hours,
    schedule, etc.)
    d) your center philosophy and goals
    e) center's operating hours, schedule
     f) center organizational chart expressing the hierarchical and conditional relationships among personnel
    g) floor plan (computer generated)
    h) materials and equipment (spreadsheet)
    i) insurance information, zoning information, ADA (optional)
    You can earn up to 15 extra points for including at least three or more optional information in your ECMP
     j) licensing rules and regulations, transportation
    k) parent questionnaire, director interviews, caregiver interviews and summaries of the  results
    l) budget (spreadsheet)
    m) program brochure
    n) parent or staff handbook
    o) others (meal menu, etc.)
 
    A detailed criteria for grading this project is provided.