Mothers' Club Family Learning Center

Narratives

Educator Narrative

The center prepares families living in isolation and poverty to succeed in school and in life through two generation learning. We are dedicated to providing a high-quality learning environment for mothers and their children through early childhood education and programs on parenting and adult literacy.

After 46 years as a tenant, the center purchased a building in the heart of northwest Pasadena- the city’s area with the lowest income and education levels, and highest concentration of poverty. Each day mothers come to our facility with their young children, from six weeks of age to five years old; mother and children remain on-site engaged in their educational programs.

The front half of the building welcomes adults into a learning environment with a “quiet” room and a library. Psychologists provide support groups and individual counseling in the quiet room which is also used by staff members for small meetings and discussions. The library contains adult and children’s books, two computer stations, and tables for individual and small group studying.

A large multi-purpose room can be used for large groups, presentations, school performances, or divided into two rooms for adult education classes and meetings. The brick walls create a homey feeling while skylights and storefront windows bring in light while containing noise levels.

Use of colored carpet squares and a back-lit plexiglass wall invite adults and children to move from the adult areas to the children’s classrooms. In the center of the building, acknowledging the importance of food and “breaking bread together,” are two kitchens. One is a prep kitchen where mothers assisting in the program prepare a daily snack for children. The other, lit by a large skylight and with a wooden table in the center, is the social kitchen where mothers learn nutrition and English through cooking classes, and where potlucks for birthdays, holidays and celebrations help create a supportive community.

The children’s learning center is situated around a large atrium capped by a clerestory that lets in light. Five age appropriate classrooms are centered on the atrium with four of the classrooms featuring sliding storefront window doors that maximize flexibility while delineating classroom boundaries. The classrooms are large and airy, with space for quiet time, art activities, and creative projects. Two of the classrooms feature roll-up doors that create an indoor/outdoor learning environment. Children’s learning opportunities can flow from indoor activities to the outdoor learning center, minimizing difficult transition times.

The outdoor learning center is a key element of the facility design. Because many of the children live in crowded apartment buildings, outdoor time is important to their development. In the Southern California climate we can spend a lot of time outdoors. The outdoor area is divided into an infant/toddler area accessed from the infant/toddler classrooms and a pre-school area. With an old, sprawling oak tree as its focal point, there are quiet areas, art areas, climbing structures, play houses, and a natural stream bed with an authentic hand pump.

What exemplary ideas do the designs contain that enhance learning?

The mission of the center is to help prepare families living in isolation and poverty to succeed in school and in life through two-generation learning. This unique approach engages mother and child in early education programs, parenting, and other adult literacy education.

To provide a high-quality learning environment that would support these goals the organization made the decision to relocate from its former residence of 40-plus years to a new “green” facility that was designed for LEED Gold certification. It is the first preschool nationwide to register for certification at the Gold Level.

The 10,000 square foot facility was completely gutted and renovated. Included in the comprehensive redevelopment of the site was the transformation of half of the asphalt parking lot into a safe, colorful play area.

The south wall was punctured, opening the building up to the exterior to create flow between the indoor/outdoor play areas. Emphasis was placed on trying to incorporate as much natural light and natural elements into the design to keep the space open and welcoming.

The front of the building is a sun-filled entry way office space for the Center’s employees, a small library, a resting room, and a large adult classroom that has moveable partitions. The design kept the existing load bearing brick wall in the front room, which gives the entry a warm, inviting feeling.

There are two kitchens in the center of the building, one for adult activities and the other to prepare snacks for the children. The main kitchen is spacious and comfortable; the true “heart” of the building and plays a central role in the adult programs.

In the back of the building are four classrooms designed for children ages one - four, as well as an infants’ room. Huge sliding glass doors at the corner of each classroom are designed to blur the boundaries between dedicated instruction and play space for each group and a large communal play area in between. When the doors are opened, the central space can expand to overlap the surrounding classrooms. When they are closed, these sliding doors still provide clear visibility from classroom to classroom and give students and staff a connected feeling. Natural light pours into the central space and surrounding classrooms from clerestory windows wrapping around three sides of the column.

The organization makes a concerted effort to use the building as a learning tool, explaining the “why” to kids and parents- why they recycle, why green buildings are good and how they can do these same things at home. An example of this is the highly visible placement of the building’s vertical/horizontal photovoltaics that provide twenty percent of the facility’s electricity.

The design allows inherent flexibility for a variety of activities/programs for different age groups within the same set of spaces. This was something the center desperately needed but couldn’t achieve in their previous space. The organization can now expand their programs to accommodate more families while continuing to be a model program for babies and toddlers.

What innovations in the planning, programming and design process supported the realization of those exemplary ideas?

Answered in the previous question. -TW