The philosophy of the Children's Discovery Center is based on the image of the child. We see the individual child as having the right to a high quality education. We respect that the child is the co-constructor of knowledge. This means that the children’s interests and their innate curiosity help choreograph our child-centered, nature-based curriculum. We support the children’s exploration of their environment as natural researchers, and their need to be interactive learners. We offer children the environment for learning and the provocation to take another look. Our philosophy combines some of the teachings of the greatest educators of our times: Jean Piaget, John Dewey, Erik Erikson, Bev Bos, Becky Bailey, and Reggio Emilia's Loris Malaguzzi. Our environment is structured so that our curriculum is truly child centered, which implies that it is both child initiated and teacher facilitated. We focus on the process of learning in all its intricacies, not just the end result or the product. The learner must be trusted and supported to follow the creative processes without worry of what the finished product may be. At CDC, we are dedicated to allowing children the freedom to explore the world at their leisure and direction, while setting age-appropriate boundaries and limits to make sure children feel safe.