Child Development Center | Photo by Mini University | Wright State University
Parents who also are pursuing degrees may find schoolwork and childcare to be stressful and challenging, here are the resources on campus for the Wright State University community.
The Mini University
According to a 2018 report from the Institute for Women’s Policy (IPW), roughly 22% of college students are parents.
The Mini U serves three different age groups: infants from six weeks to 16 months of age, toddlers from 16 months to three years and children from three to five-years-old in a pre-kindergarten group. Ohio’s Step Up to Quality awarded the Mini U a 5-star rating, according to Ohio Jobs and Family Services.
Executive director Britney Leavelle has worked at Mini U for the last seven years and commented on the experience of working with children.
“I’ve worked with kids pretty much my entire adult life. I think I started working when I was 13, I always liked working with children,” Leavelle said.
The WSU Child Development Center Mini University is located on the Wright State Dayton campus. Since its foundation in 1987, the Mini U has become a National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited child care facility. The Mini U hours are 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For Wright State students
For WSU parents, the Mini U offers tuition assistance up to $800 annually. Requirements for financial assistance are listed on WSU enrollment services website. In addition, campus grants are available to registered students.
Leavelle encouraged parents interested in enrolling children at the Mini U to schedule a tour of the facility. Leavelle described this process.
“So, I kind of walk through that process, we actually go into a classroom and kind of walk them through the day in the life of an infant toddler or pre-K student,” Leavelle said.
According to the Mini U website, to enhance a better learning environment, the facility offers classrooms with higher teacher-to-student ratios than the state average to encourage more one-on-one interactions.
A fun learning environment
Leavelle said children at the Mini U take part in fun activities year-round. For example, this Valentine’s Day, the children are having a friendship day party. In addition, parents are welcome to attend Read Across America Day on March 2, where librarians from WSU will come read to the students.
There is also a large greenhouse inside the facility, which the Mini U personnel use as an outdoor classroom. Students can plant fruits and vegetables to use later for cooking projects. A focus on fun activities in an educational learning environment makes the Mini U stand out in early childhood education, which Leavelle expanded on.
“The most rewarding thing is to see children develop and learn. There are so many different stages of children and how to develop them, and just seeing all that process is the most rewarding thing for me,” Leavelle said.
