A place to thrive and grow
The Harris Family Children’s Center offers care to children of Phillips Exeter Academy families and the surrounding community. Our state-of-the-art facility consists of programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarten prep, plus summer camp.
Our child-centered curriculum educates children through individual and group exploration, hands-on experimentation, nature-based learning and discovery through observation.
Infants & Toddlers
A multi-sensorial environment where children can investigate and discover.
Preschool
Designed for open-ended experiences to facilitate individual and group exploration.
Kindergarten Prep
Introducing Harkness teaching to allow children to think, discuss, question and analyze.
The Harris Family Children’s Center provides a safe and nurturing environment where young children can feel good about themselves, secure enough to take risks, and have opportunities to discover their talents. Like the Harkness teaching of the Academy’s older students, the Children’s Center teachers encourage their students to question assumptions, make independent judgments, and test hypotheses.
The program is committed to supporting children’s development by respecting individual differences, by helping them learn to live and work cooperatively and by promoting their self-esteem. The Center’s curriculum educates children in the process of discovery through observation, through hands-on experimentation, and through individual and group exploration.
We place great value on children’s ability to socialize, receiving their affection and trust, and satisfying their needs and desire to learn. These strategies contribute to the formation of creative intelligence, free thought, and individuality. Parents, educators, and the environment must all work together to create a secure foundation. Our goal is a sustained apprenticeship in humanity that will last a lifetime.
