From the moment you walk in the door at the Gertrude B. Nielsen Child Care and Learning Center, you know you are in a special place. A place that nurtures and respects children. You'll see children's artwork, an aviary and aquarium, plants, colors and textures that are inviting and stimulate learning. In short, an entire community developed for, and committed to, guiding children in their discovery of the world and themselves.

The Gertrude B. Nielsen Child Care and Learning Center (GBN) provides quality child care and education for children from birth through kindergarten. Each class is fully staffed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, so that your child remains in their own room with their primary teachers throughout their day.

What makes GBN so special?

1. THE HIGHEST STANDARDS

• Low child/staff ratios in all programs
• Administrators and teachers have extensive experience and degrees through the master's level
• GBN is an intern site for college and university students
• All staff is certified in CPR and First Aid and trained in allergy and asthma awareness

2. NAEYC ACCREDITED
Since 1985, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has offered a national, voluntary accreditation system to set professional standards for early childhood education programs, and to help families identify high-quality programs. Today, NAEYC Accreditation represents the mark of quality in early childhood education. For more information, please visit www.naeyc.org/. Watch a video about NAEYC accredited programs at www.rightchoiceforkids.org/watch/families.

3. REGGIO INSPIRED
The Gertrude B. Nielsen Center has been influenced by the principals of the Reggio Emilia Approach to the education of children birth-six. The Reggio Emilia philosophy is based on the idea that early years of development form who children are as individuals. The approach is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment driven by the interests of the children. Find out more at www.reggioalliance.org.

4. CUSTOMIZED CURRICULAR APPROACH
In order to provide the very best, individualized approach for each child, GBN staff employ a range of developmentally appropriate teaching strategies and formulates a curriculum that represents the best of several approaches and philosophies (e.g., Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Piaget). Our curriculum is literacy-rich, play-based, and project-oriented. With the Illinois Early Learning Standards as the foundation, we give our qualified teachers the freedom to develop curriculum based on what the classroom and each child needs.

5. HEALTHY, ORGANIC FOOD
As more and more parents enrolling in our school requested healthier foods, we began the process of improving our breakfast, lunch and snack options. Although we knew this change would be more costly, we also knew the benefits it would bring. We began searching for new catering options. We wanted to get away from school lunch programs that offered mostly processed, often times unrecognizable lunches and instead, offer nutritious food with more whole grains, fruits and veggies, and proper portion size. Learn more about our caterer and details about "going organic" at www.organiclifeonline.com

6. TEAM GBN APPROACH
Our team GBN activities are inspired by the training video, Fish, which is based on the World Famous Pikes Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington and the book by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen which shows us how we all can make a working environment, work for everyone.

The FISH! Philosophy includes four simple, interconnected practices:

• Be There is being emotionally present for people
• Play taps into your natural way of being creative, enthusiastic and having fun
• Make Their Day is finding simple ways to serve or delight people in a meaningful, memorable way
• Choose Your Attitude means taking responsibility for how you respond to what life throws at you

Through The FISH! Philosophy, we build stronger relationships with the team members we work with, the families we serve, the children we teach and the people we love.