April brought a wave of excitement to the Children’s Centers as we celebrated the Week of the Young Child, embarked on Walk Across Texas, BGCC received National Recognition for two Certified Nature Explore Classrooms, and cheered on the CSCC graduates (with BGCC to follow suit in May).

Week of the Young Child kicked off with a message from the Dean of Education and Human Development recognizing the early childhood program and services that meet the needs of young children and their families. “Our School and Texas A&M University share this commitment through the dedicated faculty, staff and students working in the Becky Gates Children’s Center, Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center and the Texas A&M Institute for Early Childhood Development & Education. Through their teaching and research, we strive to enhance the quality of learning for young minds while serving families across our local community.” Their support was visible across campus. Thank you to all the units and departments that proudly displayed the children’s art during the Week of the Young Child!

Walk Across Texas was a huge success! The top finishers for each center were:

BGCC

1^st Place Hullabaloo Classroom

2^nd Place Whoop Classroom

3^rd Place Maroon & White

CSCC

1^st Place Classroom #113

2^nd Place Classroom #120

3^rd Place Classroom #107

We had 3 staff teams competing in the TAMU Education and Human Development League:

5^th Place Becky’s Toddling Troup 1774.81 miles

9^th Place Charlotte’s Toddling Troup 1382.09 miles

12^th Place Becky’s Toddling Troup 2.0 1035.33

Congratulations to our winning teams! 1^st place teams receive $200 in classroom materials and supplies, 2^nd place receives $100 in classroom materials and supplies and 3^rd place receives $50 in classroom materials and supplies.

BGCC’s playground has earned national recognition as Certified Nature Explore Classrooms. “The Becky Gates Children’s Center’s commitment to providing research-based and nature-rich learning offers a wonderful example to programs and educators throughout the country.” said Heather Fox, director of communications and outreach for the Nature Explore program. “These spaces inspire hands-on activity, creativity, play and plenty of time exploring the natural world for children of all ages.”

More information about The Becky Gates Children’s Center at Texas A&M University may be found at https://certified.natureexplore.org/becky-gates-childrens-center/

Becky Gates Children’s Center was also featured on local media station KBTX. Becky Gates Children’s Center earns national recognition for ‘outdoor classrooms’ (kbtx.com)

During the month of May we celebrate and recognize educators during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10. Early childhood educators play a critical role in the development and education of young children building strong foundations for a lifetime of learning.