Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2009-04-24

Samford University's Children's Learning Center will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an open house and birthday party Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. -12 p.m. The public is invited.

Inflatables, pony rides, refreshments and other entertainment will be on the Samford intramural fields adjacent to the CLC, located at 1939 South Lakeshore Drive. Tours of the CLC building will be available. Children who are "alumni" of the program and their parents are encouraged to visit their former classrooms, according to CLC chief executive officer Dr. David Finn.

Tenth anniversary activities during April have included a Distinguished Lecture Series for Children. The schedule has featured a Samford geography professor discussing weather, Children's Hospital representatives discussing poison safety, a Homewood librarian with stories and songs, a Birmingham Museum of Art docent showing artifacts from various countries, and Samford chemistry students with entertaining scientific experiments.

The CLC opened in 1998 to serve children ages six weeks through four years. It is designed as a model for quality care and innovative programming with a curriculum developmentally appropriate for each age group.

The center is open to all children and makes a particular effort to serve those who have special needs. CLC personnel coordinate special education services with the Alabama Early Intervention office and local school districts to ensure that those children receive early and appropriate intervention services.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.