PULLMAN, WA – When Nele Escobar arrived at Washington State University, she wanted to work with young children. Finding out about the WSU Children’s Center was a dream come true.
“I immediately knew I wanted to be here,” said Escobar, a Walla Walla, Washington, native who started as a full-time teacher at the center last month after graduating from WSU with a degree in human development. “It’s right on the Pullman campus, relates to the career I want to pursue, and has an excellent program for young kids and WSU students.”
The Children’s Center participates in the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families’ Early Achievers program, which recently gave the center its highest rating. Only 0.5% of preschools in the state have earned a rating of five, according to Samantha Schroedle, the center’s director.
“We’ve always followed established best practices in everything we do,” Schroedle said. “This upgraded rating shows that the work we do to meet those standards is known to the public. It means WSU students know they will learn at a top facility, and it lets parents know their children are being educated in a caring and trustworthy environment.”
Escobar knows this well as she worked at the center for three years of her undergraduate career.
“The center is willing to teach college students how to work with young children and interact with parents,” Escobar said. “I’ve been able to take what I learned in my classes and apply that here in a real-world setting. It’s a perfect opportunity and even better because the center is so highly regarded.”
Since the center is part of WSU’s Department of Human Development, professors and other researchers often work directly with staff and students throughout the year.
“Faculty provide trainings to our staff, while our staff also make presentations to classes on campus,” Schroedle said. “It’s a very symbiotic relationship.”
One of the best parts of her job is watching WSU students learn and advance at the center.
“We see students like Nele come in during their first year and they’re often nervous,” Schroedle said. “We get to see them grow and develop. You can see the impact on that student when they are mentored, and how that directly relates to helping the young children in the center.”
Interns often conduct parent-teacher conferences, so they learn not only how to work with kids but also concerned and involved parents. The students start by observing staff members and getting to know parents as they drop off or pick up their children.
Only WSU faculty, staff, students, and others affiliated with the university can enroll children at the center. It benefits parents on the Pullman campus to know their kids are close by and in a positive educational environment.
All Children’s Center teachers and staff receive updated training, no matter how long they’ve been in the classroom.
“We strive for continuous improvement,” Schroedle said. “No program is ever finished; there’s always something we can do to improve. Our teachers are continuously striving for the next level. We didn’t just get this rating and now we’re done. We will keep working to be better.”
That’s heartening to Escobar, and a big reason why she stuck around after graduating.
“Going forward, I’ll have experience at a top-rated facility,” she said. “Now I know what is considered the highest standard in our field. We all want the best experiences for families and children, and I’m excited to be part of that.”
