Elisabeth W. Amen Nursery School
The Elisabeth Amen Nursery School at Wheaton College is the laboratory school for the Psychology Department. Students from Developmental Psychology are required to perform observation at the nursery school as a part of the course requirements. In the Developmental Lab course, upperclass psychology majors conduct research on various topics. In addition, seniors from the Psychology Department, as well as other departments such as Anthropology and Sociology conduct research as a part of their senior thesis.
The Elisabeth Amen Nursery School has been a site for child study and research since its beginning in 1931. The primary functions of the laboratory school are to demonstrate good nursery school practices, provide a sound educational setting for preschool children and serve as an active center for child study and research. Thus, in addition to providing a supportive atmosphere for preschoolers, the nursery school offers a wide range of experiences to college students in the fields of psychology, education, family studies and related areas. The children in this laboratory school benefit from expert guidance by teachers and college professors actively working in the fields of child development and early childhood education; college students gain hands-on experience in both teaching and research.