Jewish Community Center

Costa Mesa, Ca
Emphasis: Preschool Inclusion

FULL INCLUSION PRESCHOOL PROJECT

In collaboration with the Department of Special Education at California State University, Fullerton, the Jewish Community Center Early Childhood Program (JCC) has been created as a Professional Development Site for candidates of the department's Early Childhood Specialist Credential.  The JCC, located in Costa Mesa, California, is a school for 180 typically developing children between the ages of 2 and 6.  Dr. Jan S. Weiner, with the support of the JCC's past director, Teri Ferentz, was instrumental in fully including a total of 16 children with special needs since 1996.  Dr. Weiner, a faculty member of the Department of Special Education, is committed to fully including students with moderate to severe disabilities in the general education community.  The children that are included at the JCC range in the degree of special needs with the following:  life threatening allergies, cerebral palsy, autism, Asperger syndrome, brittle bone disease, deaf/hard of hearing, pervasive developmental disorder, learning disabilities and behavior disorders.  This program provides the department's candidates with a very rich context in which to develop critical skills required to meet the competencies of their credential.  Candidates fulfill their 16 week commitment of teaching toddlers with disabilities in the least restrictive environment along side typically developing peers.  The staff of the JCC are a supportive, valuable group of professionals who are also benefiting from this collaborative opportunity.  Not only is university faculty on-hand to supervise student teachers and conduct on-site staff training, respected professionals from the community serve as an essential resource to staff development and support, child support, and family support.  Dr. Weiner, who serves as the primary faculty liaison, is actively pursuing funding and recruiting new families on an ongoing basis. 

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