Kids, seniors to learn together at new nonprofit Durham preschool

Krissy Snyder has spent her career working with young children.

A member of the third class graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a birth-kindergarten teaching license, she jumped head first into a job as director of an established child care program in Durham. During her 16 years there, she led the program to achieve a five-star state license and national accreditation.

Snyder has big plans for the school, a nonprofit that opened in January near Duke University. I checked in with Snyder by email to learn more about the program and her hopes for it. Here's a Q&A.

For a few years leading up to this launch, I gathered inspiration from research, parents, teachers and colleagues. All expressed strongly-held beliefs about the rights and privileges of early childhood. This program is a response to those hopes and dreams. 

Materials are primarily real-life items, chosen for sensory richness (wood, wicker, cotton, smooth metal, ceramic/glass, recycled treasures, and nature collections). Unlike most toys manufactured for children with a single outcome in mind, these materials encourage multiple uses in play.

Our teachers view their jobs primarily as a way to help children explore, express thoughts and construct and reconstruct their own ideas and understandings. Teachers cultivate a strong sense of interconnectedness, including the practices of compassion and social justice.    

When young children have ongoing relationships with older adults, it gives them an opportunity to be part of an extended family (especially when biological families may be far away).

They gain insight into our history and traditions and learn respect for those different from themselves. Older adults embrace the opportunity to serve as mentors and role models as they share their unique skills and talents. Additionally, when seniors have encounters with children, they report higher levels of overall wellness —more physical activity, increased learning stimulation and emotional stability.

Our short-term goal is to partner with senior adults in the community who will “adopt” us. They will be screened, oriented and matched to a spectrum of intergenerational activities (sending birthday cards, baking, doing art, producing puppet shows, planting, reading books, etc.).

We will be looking to further utilize the 5+ acres of forest on our campus (hiking trails, hammocks, zip lines, punching bags, fairy villages, child-made webs, and — of course — wildflowers to support our local honeybees!).

Our long-term ambition is to renovate the 1920s house next door and to encourage a senior adult day program on this campus for ongoing intergenerational experiences and relationships.

We have also realized that Reggio-inspired programs are not “cookie cutters” that can be duplicated in a different setting. Each individual program takes on the flavor of its children, families, teachers and surrounding culture. It is the one of the truest tests to “be yourself.”