Summer Enrichment Expanding
This year, we are doubling the size AND expanding the range of children who are eligible to apply for our popular and engaging program for young children – located in the new College of Education Doepke Family Early Learning Laboratory. If you are looking for a fun, intellectually engaging, play and science-based program for your child, aged 4-8, register today. The program will last six weeks: June 8 – 11; June 15-18; June 29 – July 2; July 6-9; July 13-16; and July 20-23. The program meets from 8 until noon Monday thru Thursday. The cost of the full six-week program is $600. If families wish to register without paying the full tuition cost, a $300 payment is required with the full amount due by the first day of the program.
The Auburn University Early Childhood Summer Enrichment Program is a long-standing outreach initiative of the Early Childhood Teacher Education Program in Auburn’s College of Education, offering high-quality, developmentally appropriate learning experiences for young children. Operated for more than 25 years, the program provides a structured yet play-based summer learning environment for children approximately 4 to 8 years old and is directed by Associate Professor Dr. Sean Durham with support from lead teachers, graduate assistants, and undergraduate teacher candidates. Throughout its history, the program has grounded its curriculum in the belief that every child is competent, creative, and capable of constructing their own understanding of the world, prioritizing children’s interests and active engagement over adult-led instruction.
Daily activities emphasize a rich balance of play, project work, and inquiry-based exploration in areas such as science, the arts, early literacy, and mathematical reasoning. Children are invited to choose among carefully prepared play and learning centers, engage with hands-on materials, and pursue emergent projects that reflect their curiosities. Teacher candidates plan and guide these experiences, observe children’s play and learning, and use documentation to deepen engagement and extend learning opportunities.
The program’s philosophy centers on the conviction that play is a primary driver of children’s learning and healthy development, counteracting broader trends that have seen children’s play opportunities reduced in both formal and informal settings. By providing a nurturing, play-rich environment and sustaining strong relationships among children and teacher candidates, Summer Enrichment supports not only academic growth but also social-emotional development and positive peer interaction. Through its decades of service, the program has become a meaningful community resource for families while simultaneously serving as a laboratory for future educators to practice developmentally appropriate pedagogy grounded in observation, reflection, and child-centered engagement.
Auburn University Early Childhood Summer Enrichment Program — Summer 2026
The Auburn University Early Childhood Summer Enrichment Program offers a truly exceptional learning experience for young children — one rooted in more than 30 years of intentional, play-based education where curiosity leads, and meaningful learning follows. Administered by Auburn’s Early Childhood Teacher Education faculty and supported by master teachers, graduate assistants, and teacher candidates, the program offers children ages 4 to 8 a richly prepared learning environment where they engage in authentic intellectual work that strengthens academic abilities, reasoning, creativity, and confidence.
Extending over six weeks in Summer 2026 due to exceptional demand and the documented success of last year’s program, Summer Enrichment supports each child’s developing capacities through daily experiences that blend guided inquiry with self-directed play, exploration, and project work. These experiences align with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Early Childhood Program Standards, which emphasize developmentally appropriate practice, intentional teaching, and environments that invite active engagement and sustained inquiry.
Unlike traditional summer care or didactic instruction, Auburn’s Summer Enrichment creates a child-centered curriculum rooted in constructivist principles: children are seen as competent, creative, and capable of constructing their own understanding of the world. Adults play an intentional role as observational partners, facilitators, and co-investigators, building opportunities from children’s play into extended learning projects, representational activities like drawing and writing, and thoughtful discussions.
Each day begins with choice and exploration among thoughtfully prepared learning centers, where children experiment with science materials, manipulate art media, build with blocks and natural materials, and engage in literacy-rich conversations. Teachers support learning through guided questions, documentation of thinking, and reflective extensions that embed emergent literacy and early mathematical reasoning — hallmarks of authentic intellectual work where children think deeply, inquire boldly, and transfer learning beyond the classroom.
Parent feedback reflects the distinctive nature of this approach. As one child recently shared:
“I wish my regular school was like Summer Enrichment.”
Such sentiments underscore how deeply children engage with the curriculum and how much they love the freedom, challenge, and discovery that define the program.
Summer Enrichment at Auburn has a long and evolving history, beginning more than 30 years ago as a community outreach initiative of the Early Childhood Teacher Education Program. Over decades, it has consistently provided families with a learning environment that balances joy and rigor, preparing children for academic success while honoring each child’s agency and interests.
In 2025, the program received local media attention on WSFA News and in Auburn press, which highlighted the play-based classroom environment, science and arts explorations, and hands-on engagement with materials and peers. Associate Professor Sean Durham noted that the program provides “an academic advantage during the summer months,”and described how children have daily opportunities to choose among carefully prepared explorations with teacher candidates offering close support.
This visibility and the enthusiastic response from families have led to an expanded Summer 2026 cohort, offering more spaces and extended weeks of engagement to meet community interest. The program’s integration with Auburn’s College of Education also builds bridges between research-based early childhood pedagogy and community service, while offering Auburn teacher candidates authentic practicum experiences in high-quality early learning settings.
Summer Enrichment embraces core elements of the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards, including:
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Developmentally appropriate curriculum and assessment that reflect children’s interests and strengths.
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Intentional teaching practices that scaffold learning, language development, and problem solving.
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Engaging learning environments rich in materials that provoke thought and collaboration.
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Teacher reflection and professional learning, as students in training apply their coursework in authentic contexts.
By adhering to these standards, Auburn’s program ensures that children are not merely occupied during summer hours but are engaged in meaningful learning experiences that complement their formal education and build toward future success.
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Six weeks of morning sessions featuring inquiry-based, play-rich activities that integrate science exploration, literacy, math concepts, dramatic play, arts, and project work.
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Child-centered pedagogy that respects individual learning trajectories, curiosity, and self-expression.
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Daily opportunities to strengthen confidence, communication, collaboration, and executive functions through authentic intellectual work.
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Experienced educators and teacher candidates who guide reflective exploration, extend thinking, and document learning.
Families interested in registering for Summer 2026 are encouraged to secure a place early, as spaces are limited and demand continues to grow.
In the News
Auburn’s College of Education has been buzzing with creativity and exploration this summer through the 2025 Early Childhood Summer Enrichment Program in the college’s new building.
Auburn College of Education associate professor Sean Durham is excited to offer his annual summer enrichment program once again for area preschool students. This time, that offering will have a brand-new location: the College of Education’s new building at the corner of Samford Avenue and Duncan Drive.
