Dillon Center to Celebrate 75th Anniversary

April 26, 2010

BROOKLYN, NY - April 27, 2010 - St. Josephs College is proud to announce that the Dillon Center at St. Josephs College, one of the first model preschools in New York, will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Thursday, May 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the OConnor Mall, located adjacent to the 232 Clinton Avenue Convent. At this event, St. Josephs will honor past and present educators from the College who have made a meaningful impact in the field of child study and to the St. Josephs community as a whole.

A fixture of the College campus since 1934, the Dillon Center was a revolutionary step forward in the field of child study when it first opened its doors with an emphasis on the child development approach to the education of young children. Over the years, the Dillon Child Study Center has proved to be an ideal training ground for thousands of child study majors by providing a model environment in which to observe and have practicum experience under the supervision of seasoned preschool educators. The Dillon Center embodies the philosophy and goals of the Child Study department, whereby teachers should consider the whole child, recognize the importance of the early years of development, and accept and respect the uniqueness of every child.

"The College has always taken great pride in our teacher preparation programs, and the Dillon Center is a key component of our Early Childhood curriculum. It provides our students with a unique opportunity to observe and work with children even before their student teaching experience, and so they are superbly prepared to meet the challenges in a real life environment, said Sister Elizabeth A. Hill, president of St. Josephs College. "On behalf of the entire College community, I want to thank all those who, for the past 75 years, have contributed to this exceptional program.  It is impossible to overstate how important their work has been, or how grateful we are."