UNH Child Study Center Seeks Alumni For 75th Anniversary Celebration

Contact: Sharon Keeler
603-862-1566
UNH Media Relations

Feb. 16, 2005



DURHAM, N.H. -- Are you one of the thousands of children and adults who spent time at the University of New Hampshire’s child care and nursery school during the past 75 years? The UNH Child Study and Development Center (CSDC) is seeking alumni of the center -- children, college student teachers, parents and teachers -- to help commemorate their 75th Anniversary Celebration this year.

Alumni of CSDC are encouraged to visit the center’s Web site to learn about events planned for the 75th Anniversary Celebration: www.csdc.unh.edu. Alumni can share memories, stories and photos that relate to the history of the center, and can submit contact information to hear about upcoming anniversary events.

“This is a real milestone for CSDC and its identity as a national force in advocating for quality early education,” says John Nimmo, executive director of the center. “We hope to learn from former students, children and parents about where we have been, share where we are now, and shape our vision for the future.”

Events planned for the 75th Anniversary Celebration include a Reunion Picnic and Open House on Saturday, June 4, 2005, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event will include tours of the CSDC facilities and the official opening of the new Infant-Toddler Outdoor Learning Environment. Displays of 75 years of center history will also be present, as well as a barbeque picnic, live music, tours of the nearby UNH dairy barns, hayrides and more.

Also planned is a “From the Roots Up” Auction on April 2, 2005, at the UNH Elliot Alumni Center from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. This event will help raise funds to support CSDC. Parents and supporters of the center will auction off artwork and other donated items to benefit programming, staff development and facilities at the center. The evening will include a multimedia display of CSDC accomplishments over the years.

Finally, CSDC will host a day-long conference for regional early childhood educators March 19, 2005, to share its extensive curriculum explorations into gardening with young children.

The UNH Child Study & Development Center began in 1929 as a laboratory for child development classes in the Home Economics Department. Since those early days with six children in a small campus building, CSDC has grown to incorporate state-of-the art programming and facilities as a center of excellence within the Department of Family and the School of Health and Human Services.

The mission of the CSDC has three parts: providing a laboratory teaching site for UNH students, offering opportunities for child-focused research, and providing early childhood education that promotes children's development and supports families.

For more information, contact John Nimmo, executive director of the UNH Child Study & Development Center, at (603) 862-2835.