ABOUT US
World of Discovery’s mission is to provide state of the art early childhood education that recognizes and respects the rights of children, teachers, and families.We at World of Discovery are moving into the future to enhance the positive and professional relationships within the community. Our mission is to cultivate a community which respects and nurtures the rights of the learner in an environment that fosters life-long learning through collaboration, compassion, creativity, wonder, and curiosity.We are committed to a mutually respectful, supportive, and relaxing way of working and being together to create the best possible learning environment for our children and their families
In our collaboration, we will:
- Recognize and nurture the stories, experiences and learning potential that enrich our image of the child
- Provide an environment rich with materials that enable children to express their ideas and explore their experiences
- Observe, listen, question, and interact with the children, acting as research
- Document the children’s work as it progresses
- Recognize parents and include them as an integral part of the educational process
- Provide a comfortable home-like environment filled with opportunities for communicating and relating
- Learn more about the Reggio Philosophy through discussion, meeting, study, and collaboration
PHILOSOPHY
Our hope for The World of Discovery is to cultivate a community full of wonder, dreams, and possibilities: a unique place where we value diversity and progressive education based on research.
This vision guides our beliefs about how children learn and give charity to our curriculum expectations.
The curriculum begins with a strong image of the child. Our curriculum uses a contextual, constructivist approach to education. By contextual, we mean that children learn information in a meaningful way – in the context of their daily lives and current experiences.
Constructivism means that children build understanding from their relationships with others, previous experiences, and their environment. Learning does not proceed in a linear fashion but spirals around as children revisit or return to concepts to reach a higher level of understanding from the material each time they experience it.
Our strong image of the child guides all our curriculum decisions. We view children as strong, powerful, and capable of constructing knowledge. The foundation of our curriculum is empowering relationships, rich environments, and thoughtful planning based on the observations and interests of the children.
Teachers continually question and reflect upon their work with young children. Both teachers and children learn through rich relationships and meaningful shared experiences.
“Curriculum” includes every aspect of the school experience, extending far beyond pure educational content to include many other areas, such as classroom management and discipline.
Teachers are expected to interact with children and create a culture of kindness in which children are always respected.
RIGHTS OF CHILD
We have a strong positive image of the child as an active discoverer and inventor who constructs knowledge from experiences with his or her environment.
Our educational focus is not on what children need to know, but on what they have the right to explore and learn.
We believe children have the right to:
Express feelings • Make choices • Get dirty • Be respectful • Be successful • Make mistakes • Ask questions • Solve their own problems • Change their environment • Test their own ideas and theories • Build new understandings • Make friends • Find meaning • Play without interruption • Learn self-help skills • Have nutritious foods • Be respected • The truth • Be loved • Make a mess • Explore • Be clean • Be heard • Sleep when tired • Explore and discover • Play by self • Be alone • Be comforted • Be self-expressive • To dislike • Not participate • Be nurtured • Eat when hungry • Be creative • Investigate • Set own space • Be themselves • Say “no” • Be shy • Make suggestions • Be loud • Cheer • Cry • Be strong • Be weak • Try new things • Be taught • Be included • Be safe • Have self-control • Teach each other • Learn good manners • Have their feelings validated • Have healthy, tasty foods to eat • Explore without time-limits • Be who they are • Feed themselves • Work at own pace • Be encouraged, not forced • Speak • Play with friends • Have their cultures respected • Make peace with one another • Learn about logical consequences • Safe playgrounds • Socialize outside their classroom • Contribute to their own educational experiences • Have a Reggio-inspired classroom • Determine when they are ready for potty training • Negotiate • Write letters • Sing out of tune • Dance • Make music • Believe in fairies • Choose what they wear to school • Fix their room • Plant seeds and watch them grow • Develop their own hypotheses • Jump in puddles • Splash water • Mix up new colors • Make silly jokes • Watch the clouds go by • Pick wild flowers • Roll in the grass • Have caring teachers • Learn from books • Believe in magic • Be who they are • Use play as a way of learning • Dream
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kamila Johnson has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. Ms. Johnson has worked closely with educators, children, and families to inspire those wishing to explore excellence in providing program services. In 2014 she launched a consulting practice to support schools, agencies, and non-profits in various aspects of professional development and organizational reform. Ms. Johnson’s experience includes executive coaching to school administrators, on-site services in creating instructional-coaching programs, assessment, and evaluation, as well as other topics to support continuous organizational improvements.
Ms. Johnson is a DC Office of State Superintendent certified trainer and served as a board member of The District of Columbia Association for the Education of Young Children. Ms. Johnson holds a BS in Political Science & International Relations and Master of Education (Curriculum & Instruction).
Ms. Johnson brings a wealth of knowledge to the center since she has worked with community based, charter and public schools, and non-profits as a consultant, teacher mentor, curriculum specialist, CDA trainer and advisor. In addition, Ms. Johnson views a collaborative school environment as the key to creating successful teachers and children. She believes partnerships with parents and community partners are essential to enriching the experience at World of Discovery.
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION
Classes
Children at World of Discovery are grouped by chronological age and development levels. Our classes are small and intimate. Excellent child/staff ratios ensure children receive the individual attention they want and deserve.
Waiting List and ‘Move Up’
Establishing a strong sense of community within and between the classrooms is a vital part of our school culture. For this reason, we do not transition children individually throughout the year according to their birth dates, which would create a fluid environment. Instead, we typically transition the children together at the end of the school year in June — at ‘move-up’.
At ‘move-up’ (1st full week in June), each class moves up to the next classroom. This results in most of our availability occurring in June. After June, we have availability on a case-by-case basis; when a child withdraws from the school, we offer that space to the next age-appropriate child on the waiting list.
SELECTING YOUR SCHOOL
Beyond excellent childcare, finding a school where your child and family feel they belong is an important decision — for the child and the whole family. It is critical to find a place where your culture, values, history, knowledge, perspective, and ideas are respected and, if possible, reflected within the school itself. Beyond excellent childcare, finding community – an environment where the child and family feel they can contribute and that they belong – is an important consideration, too.
It is the children and families who are part of World of Discovery as well as the faculty who create the unique identity of our school. We come from all over the world. This rich diversity creates meaningful opportunities for learning from one another and for building and improving the experiences the children enjoy.
We have an active and dedicated Parent as Partners (PAP). This group exists to support the staff and create an environment in which all parents can become involved in the life of World of Discovery. PAP membership is open to all parents. The PAP has quarterly meetings and annual events.
For more information about World of Discovery, please contact:
Kamila Johnson, M.Ed.
Email: kjohnson@worldofdiscoverycenter.com
Joseph Hopkins, Business Manager
Email: jhopkins@worldofdiscoverycenter.com
SELECTING YOUR SCHOOL
Beyond excellent childcare, finding a school where your child and family feel they belong is an important decision — for the child and the whole family. It is critical to find a place where your culture, values, history, knowledge, perspective, and ideas are respected and, if possible, reflected within the school itself. Beyond excellent childcare, finding community – an environment where the child and family feel they can contribute and that they belong – is an important consideration, too.
It is the children and families who are part of World of Discovery as well as the faculty who create the unique identity of our school. We come from all over the world. This rich diversity creates meaningful opportunities for learning from one another and for building and improving the experiences the children enjoy.
We have an active and dedicated Parent as Partners (PAP). This group exists to support the staff and create an environment in which all parents can become involved in the life of World of Discovery. PAP membership is open to all parents. The PAP has quarterly meetings and annual events.
For more information about World of Discovery, please contact:
Kamila Johnson, M.Ed.
Email: kjohnson@worldofdiscoverycenter.com
Joseph Hopkins, Business Manager
Email: jhopkins@worldofdiscoverycenter.com
ENTROLLMENT
EMPLOYMENT
World of Discovery seeks teachers who appreciate children and seek opportunities to teach and learn from them, who are qualified and capable of teaching children, who can and will work cooperatively with other staff members, and whose personal and professional qualifications most closely fit the program’s needs.
Among the factors considered in personnel decisions are the following:
- Academic qualifications
- Work experience
- Demonstrated ability to work with children
- Personal and Professional References
- Observation of applicant in the classroom
- Flexibility and willingness to do whatever task needs doing
- A Positive and Professional Attitude
- Cultural and racial characteristics of the families served
When recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting employees, World of Discovery does not discriminate with regards to race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religious affiliation, mental or physical disability unrelated to the ability to engage in activities required by the job.
CURRENT OPENINGS
Must have two- years center-based childcare experience. Ideal candidates will have current CDA or higher degree or be currently enrolled in ECE courses.
- Must have one year center-based childcare experience and CDA or currently enrolled in ECE courses (proof: transcript or current enrollment).
- Must be 16 years or older
We are currently looking for experienced substitute teachers. Day-to-day substitutes work on an on-call basis, taking job as needed, and working with all age groups from Infants to Preschool. Subs must have one year center-based childcare experience.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
When recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting employees, The World Of Discovery does not discriminate with regards to race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religious affiliation, mental or physical disability unrelated to the ability to engage in activities required by the job.
APPLY TODAY
Email resumes to info@worldofdiscoverycenter.com