Skip to main content
Fishback Center Kindergarten Classroom

Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education

The Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education

Philosophy

The Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education's philosophy is grounded in social constructivism and inquiry-based learning. Children are capable, competent and able to build their knowledge through exploration and social interaction.

Relationships with caring and responsive teachers are not only children’s rights, but are crucial to their growth, learning and development. These relationships help children to nurture their curiosity, to develop questions and to hypothesize about possible connections so that they may make meaning of their world.

The Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education sees parents as children’s first teachers. Teachers and college students are seen as their second teachers, and the environment is seen as their third teacher. Special consideration is given to the materials that are chosen for optimal learning opportunities and how the teachers construct the spaces where children will play, learn and interact with others.

Connections to SDSU

The program is in conjunction with the Early Childhood Education Program at SDSU. The classrooms are led by SDSU faculty, who not only teach children, but also support and mentor college students while they gain hands-on experience in teaching. One of the components to the program is our observation booths where families and SDSU students can observe and learn from children engaging in activities in an unobtrusive manner.

Contact Us:

For more information please contact the program coordinators.

  • For enrollment questions, contact Laura Gloege at 605-688-6477.
  • For potential collaborations and out-of-school-time questions, contact Jen Johnson at 605-688-4751.

Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education News

See All Our News
Profilet-DeJong investiture with Carie Green

Profilet and DeJong Family Fund First Endowed Position in SDSU’s College of Education and Human Sciences

Through the generosity of two South Dakota State University alumni, the university has established its first endowed faculty position in the College of Education and Human Sciences. The Tate Profilet and Mary DeJong Family Endowed Director of Early Childhood Education was formalized at an Oct. 22 investiture ceremony, paving the way for a new era of the early childhood education program at State.