Goddard Child Development Center, Greenbelt

NASA Goddard Child Development Center opened its doors in June of 1973, committed to the purpose of combining quality childcare with excellence in early childhood education. GCDC is licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) as a nonpublic nursery school with an educational program for children ages 2 to 5 years of age. We are also certified by MSDE as a private school to include a kindergarten program.

GCDC’s mission is to provide a developmentally appropriate preschool through kindergarten program where children learn and develop in the following areas of development:

• Social-emotional: Through interactions with classmates and teachers, children learn to demonstrate a sense of self, and prosocial behavior;
• Cognitive: Children learn problem-solving strategies, logical thinking, and representation and symbolic thinking through a variety of learning experiences in the language arts, mathematics, music, art, and creative play;
• Language: Children learn how to express themselves and improve skills such as listening and speaking, reading and writing, and demonstrating an understanding of print concepts; and
• Physical: Children learn to control small muscles, coordinate eye-hand movements and improve large/gross motor skills.

GCDC seeks to empower all young children to become productive, enthusiastic and socially competent learners and to create a community of learners that bond among children, their families, the school and the community.