The first five years significantly shape a child’s future, from their experiences in school to their workforce skill development to their overall health. An important part of these early years of development are a child’s relationships and experiences in the places where they grow and learn. When adults understand and encourage children’s innate curiosity and capabilities, children thrive.
The Schoenbaum Family Center equips those who love, educate, and care for children with evidence-based ways to support their development. Our innovative partnership with the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy allows us to apply early childhood research and policy into real-world settings and classrooms. We do this by informing research design and by translating scientific findings into practical uses for educators and parents.
A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning
As a national model for best practices, our school provides high-quality, research-based early care and education to young children with a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and social justice.
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Community Programs
Partnering throughout Central Ohio, our community programs impact child, family, and community success. These programs include professional development and coaching for teachers to a summertime kindergarten readiness program for children throughout central Ohio.
Curriculum & Resources
Born out of Crane Center research and designed with educators and parents in mind, our curricula and resources give proven, hands-on ways to help develop children’s language and literacy skills.
Training Ground for Early Childhood
We are committed to training the next generation of early childhood experts. Our A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning offers internships, paid positions, and clinical field experiences for Ohio State students across multiple disciplines. We also offer opportunities to partner in research and program evaluations.
Our Background
The Schoenbaum and Crane Centers are co-located in Columbus’ Weinland Park neighborhood, about a mile from the main campus of The Ohio State University. Our centers are part of Ohio State’s College of Education and Human Ecology, where early childhood is one of five foundational pillars of work.
The Schoenbaum Family Center opened in August 2007 to offer early care and education to the community. The school was previously located in Campbell Hall and mostly served children of Ohio State faculty, staff, and students. This laboratory school had one infant/toddler classroom and one preschool classroom with a total enrollment of 30 children. When the school moved to the Schoenbaum Family Center in 2007, the school was renamed the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning. Today, it remains a model demonstration school and serves more than 100 children from the community in a total of seven classrooms.
In 2013, the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy joined the Schoenbaum Family Center after a generous investment from the Crane family, thereby creating an innovative and comprehensive hub for collaboration across early childhood research, practice, and policy.
