For decades, families have trusted the Texas A&M University Children’s Centers for high-quality early childhood education, experienced educators and a supportive learning environment where children can grow and thrive.

Now, the centers are building on that foundation as they transition to University Laboratory Schools, a designation that reflects their longstanding role in connecting children, families and educators while creating new opportunities for learning and discovery.

“This is really an evolution of who we already are,” said Dr. Erica Ritter, executive director of the Children’s Centers. “Children remain at the center of everything we do.”

A Community for Learning

Many of the qualities that define a University Laboratory School have long been a part of the Children’s Centers.

Teachers continuously engage in professional development, undergraduate and graduate students gain hands-on experience alongside experienced educators and faculty collaborate to support innovative approaches to early childhood education.

Ritter believes those connections are what make campus children’s centers unique. “We are not only a place where children learn. We are a place where children, families, educators, students, faculty and researchers learn from one another,” she said.

Value for Families

The University Laboratory School designation means children continue to receive the same high-quality care and education they have always experienced at the Children’s Centers, while benefitting from a learning environment backed by the resources of a major land-grant research institution.

Parents like Zhe Wang see the benefit in those connections. An associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, she appreciates being part of a community that not only supports her family but also contributes to knowledge that may benefit others.

“These are exemplary teachers who care deeply about our children and who make so much impact on early childhood education in our local community,” said Wang.

Aspiring educators gain real-world experience through the Texas A&M Children’s Centers

Supporting Future Educators

Each year, the centers engage more than a thousand Texas A&M students through observations, field experiences, internships and employment opportunities. “They connect what they learn in the classroom with authentic experiences in early childhood settings,” said Dr. Hope Gerde, who leads the Texas A&M Institute for Early Childhood Development & Education.

“The Laboratory Schools transform early childhood education from something students study into something they experience, investigate and help advance.”

As the Children’s Centers enter this next chapter, Ritter says the goal is not to change what families already love about the program but to strengthen it.

“We are excited about the opportunities ahead and the ways our centers can contribute to Texas A&M and the broader community,” she said.

For media inquiries, contact Ruben Hidalgo.