KINGSTON, R.I. – April 2, 2025 – It’s unusual to see a group of 3- to 5-year-olds walking through some of Providence’s busiest streets, but in lieu of a playground, the University of Rhode Island’s Dr. Pat Feinstein Child Development Center views downtown Providence as an extension of its facility.

Based on the first floor of the historic Shepard Company Building at 80 Washington Street since Sept. 9, 1996, the center accepts up to 17 children in each of its two large classrooms. Along with the URI Child Development Center on the Kingston Campus, URI manages the only two “laboratory schools” for early childhood education in Rhode Island after the Henry Barnard School closed at Rhode Island College in 2021.

No playground, no problem

While each classroom at the Providence Child Development Center has ample space for activities, the location doesn’t have a playground. Instead, the city itself serves that role with teachers taking students outside for a walk each day.

“The children dress for different types of weather and as we make our way around, they navigate the city by learning the traffic rules,” said Delia Hall, director. “We teach them about architecture by pointing out the differences in buildings. We discuss art by showing them murals and sculptures. We work on their math skills by counting windows. When we encounter flowers, plants, and trees, they discover what grows outside.”

Holding hands with each other and their teachers, the children walk to parks throughout the downtown area, including the 195 District Park next to the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Pedestrian Bridge and the park next to the Amtrak train station. The children have even visited the mayor at Providence City Hall. Once a week, each class walks to the Providence Public Library on Empire Street.

“It’s valuable for people who work and live downtown to see young children out and about and to recognize that they are an important part of our community,” said Bonnie Lilienthal, senior children’s librarian. “The library is glad that the Center is located close by, and they can take advantage of our resources. It’s important for children to develop a library ‘habit’ early in life and URI’s Child Development Center encourages that for the children simply by walking a couple of blocks.”

Lilienthal has partnered with the Center for more than 20 years. When made aware that the students are learning about a specific subject or working on a project, she sets aside books related to that subject to read to the children when they visit.

When walking in the city, Hall and the staff make safety a priority. If a walk to a park is planned, a staff member will often scout the area ahead of time to make sure it’s clear of any dangerous debris. The Center has established a good relationship with the Providence Downtown Improvement District, a non-profit organization that has ambassadors who help keep downtown Providence clean and safe.

Students becoming teachers

The three full-time teachers in each classroom are assisted by URI students who are enrolled in Human Development and Family Studies and Early Childhood Teacher Certification classes. Aimée Salazar Martinez completed her first practicum at the Kingston Child Development Center as a freshman. Her second practicum was at the Providence Child Development Center as a junior.

“What I loved most about the CDC was that it is located in Providence – the city in which I grew up after moving to Rhode Island from Puerto Rico,” said Salazar Martinez. “I felt a sense of belonging, as many of the children came from visibly diverse backgrounds and/or lived in the city, just like I did.”

Salazar Martinez hoped to become a full-time teacher at the Center in Providence, but didn’t expect her dream to come true after graduating from URI in 2018. However, during the pandemic, some of the Providence teachers decided to retire or move onto opportunities closer to where they lived, creating vacant positions.

“I cried when I received the email stating I had been chosen for an interview and cried again when I was told that I was selected for the job,” said Salazar Martinez, who is in her fourth year as a full-time lead teacher of one of the classrooms. “I love the connections I’ve established with the preschoolers and their families. I also love the connections I make with the URI students, especially those who are interested in joining the early childhood education field. It brings everything full circle in the most amazing way.”

URI freshman Karina Roca is majoring in psychology and human development and family studies. She never expected to work at the Child Development Center as a teacher assistant, but she’s appreciative for the opportunity.

“Working at the Providence CDC is an experience I will never forget,” said the Providence resident. “Working with children was something I thought I would never do. I did not believe I had the patience to work with kids. As time went on, I discovered that I am more patient than I thought. Working with children helps me connect with my inner child. I was unaware that my heart desperately needed softening. Working at the CDC has healed a part of me that I didn’t know needed healing.”

Roca’s goal is to become a child psychologist and help children heal from trauma through therapy.

“Working at the CDC has been a huge blessing, and I will be forever grateful,” said Roca. “Nothing else can compare to this experience. I’m incredibly honored to be here.”

A lively laboratory

URI Child Development Centers also provide an opportunity for students and professors from URI and other universities to conduct research in a wide range of subjects.

Casey McGregor, URI assistant professor of human development and family science, is collecting data at the centers for her Parenting and Family Relationships Study.

“I survey parents of 3- to 5-year-old children to examine parenting beliefs and practices, co-parenting relationships, parental mental well-being, and child behaviors and development,” said McGregor. “I’m particularly interested in how increasingly intensive cultural attitudes around childrearing, compared to previous generations, influence day-to-day family dynamics.”

McGregor, who has a 5-year-old daughter who attends the Kingston Center, has found the parents of the children to be supportive of the research conducted at the centers.

“The parents recognize that these centers provide an opportunity for researchers to test hypotheses and advance knowledge in child development, parenting practices, teaching effectiveness, and related areas,” said McGregor.

Sharon D’Antuono, URI clinical assistant professor and child clinic supervisor in the Department of Communication Disorders, has about four graduate students per semester who conduct research at both centers.

“Our graduate students, who are on the road to becoming speech language pathologists, work collaboratively with the teachers to create lesson plans that focus on speech and language development,” said D’Antuono. “It’s a mutually beneficial experience. We conduct screenings for all the children and send the results to the parents. Children who are identified early for language and speech delays benefit by receiving lessons directed to their needs in the classroom.”

URI Assistant Professor Sammy Ahmed is conducting two studies at the centers with a doctoral students and several undergraduate research assistants from his Applied Cognitive Development Lab in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. One of the studies is in cooperation with ManyNumbers, an international research consortium involving more than 100 universities.

“We’re evaluating the effectiveness of teaching practices at the URI CDCs on children’s educational and developmental outcomes and we’ll be starting a two-year study next fall measuring children’s memory, attention, and math skills at the beginning and end of preschool to understand how these skills develop during early childhood,” said Ahmed.

Brown University’s Cognitive and Psychological Sciences Department also has graduate students and undergraduate research assistants conducting research at the Center. One team is examining children’s causal and social reasoning, while another is studying how children’s language development relates to their understanding of the world around them.

Amanda Martino, lab manager of the Brown Language and Thought Lab, who is leading one of the studies, appreciates the opportunity and the partnership. “This partnership fosters a dynamic environment where academic exploration at Brown and child development at URI intersect, benefiting both institutions and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in these fields,” she said.

URI’s Child Development Centers are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation’s largest organization of early childhood professionals. They have earned five-star BrightStars ratings from the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children, the state’s quality rating and improvement system, and are licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.