Designing the World's Education
by Judith Reitman
ARAMARK Educational Resources
What first catches the visitor's eyes is the coloring - earth tones, soothing browns, greens, not the kind of primary reds and blues associated with child care centers. And there is the light - the Japanese rice paper lamps that emit a soft yellow glow, the floor to ceiling windows tinted to offset the glare from I Street NW, in downtown Washington, DC. The flooring is bamboo, the archways connecting the play spaces look Mediterranean, there are tiny Turkish stools, Latin mosaics, and an Asian carp in a large fish tank at the entryway.
Even the building materials were chosen with care. They are all non-toxic, ecologically sound, and the carpet has no micro fibers. There's even a special air filtration system.
"You don't expect that kind of beauty in a child's space, " says Susan Tenner, National Manager, Client services, Work/Life Partnerships, a division of ARAMARK Educational Resources (AER), which provides employer sponsored child care. "But it is a kind of beauty that is also comfortable, relaxing. It is so international and elegant, but cozy at the same time."
It is this kind of international flair and attention to detail that one expects at a child care center. The World Bank Center for Children and Families at the World Bank's headquarters was designed to serve the children of its multicultural employees who represent virtually all the countries of the world. Kathy Toma, Manager, Work/Family Unit of the World Bank, was largely responsible for the center's creation.
Beth Reeves, director of education at Work/Life Partnerships, who has designed play areas for theme parks for clients including Disney-MGM Studios and Universal Studios, recalls her visit. What struck her was the dynamic interplay between the children and the environment. "There's a range of interesting media and different natural expressive materials that are not prefabricated and this gives reign to [the children's] imagination, " she says.
The World Bank center aspires to reflect the philosophies of the Reggio Emilia approach to education. It is documented and accepted in the field of early education that the best schools for young children are found in the municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Reggio approach takes into account the way children experiment with their environments. Therefore, these environments should be flexible, stimulating and welcoming, encouraging interpretation and change. It is child-centered, with teachers acting as guides and documentors of the child's work. As such, the curriculum is based on children's interests, small group work, and the appreciation of diversity. At any given time, there may be half a dozen languages spoken. But it is the language of curiosity and innovation is the common means of communication here.
Toma says that the center's high standards of education and "mutable environment" encourage children to explore their worlds. "Helping children to become lifelong learning is our goal," she explains. "We want them to feel a sense of independence and value as contributors to their community."