INSIDE LOOK
25 Years of Care: The Lasting Impact of SJSU’s Associated Students Child Development Center
By Rhoda Shapiro Photography by Robert C. Bain
When SJSU’s Associated Students Child Development Center (CDC) opened 25 years ago, the mission was clear: Provide high-quality, affordable early education and child care services to the children of parents who were students at San José State. These services would give student-parents the opportunity to achieve their educational goals, while knowing that their children were being well cared for and in close proximity.
Today, the CDC has evolved into a thriving center that not only nurtures and educates young children from ages 4 months to 5 years old, but also offers part-time employment and volunteer opportunities to SJSU students.
“This center is here because of the students. It’s something that they advocated for,” says Jane Zamora, ’01 Child Development, Psychology, director of Associated Students CDC.
SJSU’s original CDC opened in 1972 at the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on 10th Street. Carl Foster, who was then teaching a SJSU course titled “Child Care Center Research Action Group,” selected a group of students to put effort toward developing the first Child Development Center that would serve SJSU students. The CDC operated inside the church for nearly three decades before students decided that the program needed to be expanded.
“That’s when SJSU’s Associated Students decided to take over the CDC. This building [on 8th St.] was built 25 years ago,” says Zamora.
The center’s building is located near the Main Campus on 8th Street, between San Salvador and William streets. It’s a large and welcoming space, full of modern classrooms that can hold up to a total of 90 children.
The Associated Students is an SJSU student-led auxiliary organization that provides services and resources to support student development, leadership and civic skills. Along with receiving funding from Associated Students’ budget, the CDC is also funded by parent fees and state and federal subsidies.
Priority is given to currently enrolled SJSU students who are the parents or guardians of young children. After students, spots are made available for SJSU staff, faculty and alumni. Based on their income, many student-parents qualify for subsidized care.
“Right now, we serve roughly 50% students and 50% faculty, staff and alumni,” says Zamora.
Jane Zamora
The ASCDC proudly displayed artwork made by children outside the school.
Galaxy Guardado and her son.
The ASCDC is conveniently located a block off campus. Photo: Brian Anderson.
Eve Gamero
Fueled by student support
The current CDC teaching staff consists of 10 teachers; each year, 40-45 student assistants are hired to provide additional support.
“I love working here,” says Galaxy Guardado, ’26 Child and Adolescent Development, who has been serving as a student assistant since February. “It’s amazing to see how quickly the babies develop and grow.”
For Guardado, the work she does at the CDC carries deep meaning and purpose.
While she is attending her classes at SJSU, she is also getting the opportunity to do paid work in an area that she’s extremely passionate about. There’s also the fact that as a child, Guardado herself attended the CDC as a preschooler while her father took classes at San José State.
“I have all these memories of eating snacks with my classmates and being in the butterfly room. And I remember playing on the tire swing,” says Guardado.
Guardado stayed at the center until she made the transition to kindergarten.
As a young child, it was nowhere near Guardado’s mind that she would one day return to the CDC. Her connection to the center continued to deepen this year when she enrolled her own 2-year-old son into the toddler program.
“He really enjoys it,” says Guardado. “I noticed that he’s been talking and singing more. And he’s always talking about circle time.”
Another level of support comes through a strong student volunteer presence.
Students who are taking either CHAD 160 or CHAD 152 – courses in the Child and Adolescent Development (ChAD) program – are required to put in service hours at the CDC as part of their course work. Every semester, a few dozen student volunteers from ChAD give their time to help out at the center.
“We expect the same type of behavior from a volunteer as a student assistant. Volunteers have to be willing to get down to the children’s level to communicate; they have to be able to comfort a child, to set up their activities,” says Zamora. “And having volunteers really helps teachers to be able to plan more fun things and to go off campus.”
“Through careful observation, students learn how to develop curriculum based on the interests of a specific group of children. For some students, their service learning is their first experience working with a group of children.”
— Teresa O'Donnell-Johnson
Teresa O'Donnell-Johnson, a ChAD undergraduate program coordinator and senior lecturer, worked to develop the CHAD 152 course, “Foundations for Early Childhood Curriculum,” which she has been teaching since fall 2016.
CHAD 152 supports students in designing meaningful learning experiences for young children. Along with committing to 20 hours of volunteer service at the CDC, students are also required to design and implement two activities in their assigned classrooms.
“Students get to actively participate in the classroom under the mentorship of skilled teachers. They learn how children learn foundational skills through play,” says O’Donnell-Johnson. “Through careful observation, students learn how to develop curriculum based on the interests of a specific group of children. For some students, their service learning is their first experience working with a group of children.”
Eve Gamero, ’06 Child and Adolescent Development, who is the CDC’s program director, first arrived at the center in 2003 as a ChAD volunteer — incidentally, Guardado was one of her first students. She was immediately struck by how the environment reflected the diversity of the Bay Area.
“Growing up in the East Bay, San José became my home away from home. As an SJSU student, the center has always embodied that same sense of belonging,” says Gamero. “All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed and celebrated here, creating a strong sense of community for the children, their families and the teacher assistants — many of whom don’t have local families.”
Cultivated by collaborations
The CDC’s ongoing collaboration with ChAD has played a critical role in preparing future early childhood professionals who are committed to advancing the field of early education and child care.
As school director, Zamora has focused on deepening relationships and collaborating with many departments across campus. She believes that these collaborations are essential for embedding the CDC within the campus community and providing children with unique experiences.
In the past, the CDC staff has taken toddlers to the music department to watch student musicians perform. Classrooms have visited the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, as well as the Campus Community Garden, which is located on East San Salvador Street and is also part of Associated Students. Sometimes, experiences on campus can be as simple as going to Tower Lawn so that children can play and explore together in a different space.
SJSU students have also come out to the CDC to collaborate and share their talents and skills. For instance, students from a kinesiology class have taught PE classes to the preschoolers; nursing students and occupational therapy students have given health lessons to the children; and music students have visited the center to lead circle time.
“I feel like the partnership with the university just gets stronger and stronger,” says Zamora.
"As a team, we support families through challenging and rapid development through the critical early years of their children’s lives. And for all the student teacher assistants, we guide them through real-life responsibilities that come with becoming a working professional. This is all in addition to ensuring we are providing high-quality care and curriculum to our children.”
— Eve Gamero
Shaped by community
Through ongoing collaborations, high-quality child care, rich education and hands-on opportunities, the CDC continues to be a vibrant community where children learn and grow, student-parents get the support they need, and future educators gain experience that will provide a strong foundation for their careers.
“As a team, we support families through challenging and rapid development through the critical early years of their children’s lives,” says Gamero, who has worked in a variety of roles, including lead educator, at the CDC for the past 22 years. “And for all the student teacher assistants, we guide them through real-life responsibilities that come with becoming a working professional. This is all in addition to ensuring we are providing high-quality care and curriculum to our children.”
Abby Escobar, an employee of Associated Students, has a son who has been attending the CDC since he was 8 months old. He has been at the center for nearly four years now and in another year, he will leave for kindergarten.
“The AS CDC has built a special community that cares for the well-being of the children and families that are fortunate enough to attend,” says Escobar. “My child has been forever positively impacted by the staff, students, and children of the CDC; and I am a better parent because of their connection and support.”
