ITLS walks for awareness at CSUSB

By Alyse Deatherage Managing Editor

On March 15, the California State University, San Bernardino, Infant/Toddler Lab School held their first event of the semester, a recognition Wagon Walk in honor of Women’s History Month. ITLS students, staff, and parents walked around campus, regardless of rainy weather conditions, to celebrate the women who raise and support the young students of the lab school.

The event took place during Women’s History Month intending to recognize the moms who care deeply for the ITLS infants, babies, and toddlers. Moms, and dads too, walked side by side with the kids who rode in their wagons with signs used to introduce the ITLS on their walk.

The walkers handed out flyers with book suggestions for reading with young children during Women’s History Month.

In the weeks leading up to the walk, the event also featured a fundraiser held by the students and parents who attend the ITLS as well as others who wanted to support. Donations were raised to fund the purchase of new outdoor equipment at the lab school’s play yards.

“Thanks to donations from President Morales, Dean Sastry Pantula, and pledges from our families, our center raised $2200 to purchase new materials for our outdoor classrooms,” said ITLS staff in a memo regarding the event.

While the event brought awareness to students about the ITLS center and funding for the outdoor play yards, overall the hope was to use this as an opportunity to celebrate the women behind the children of the center during Women’s History Month.

“As a childcare center, this month is very important to us because it was not until World War II that child care was established and funded by the government when they needed women to work in factories,” wrote Julieth Vargas, Parent Advisory Committee President for the ITLS, in an email to the parents of children who attend the center. “We acknowledge and admire our families that make sacrifices to place their little one(s) in child care, including the 215,000 parents that have made career sacrifices as well.”

The ITLS is located in the Behavioral Sciences Building and it provides a place for education, support, compassion, and growth for all its young attendees while allowing the mothers and fathers of these children time to focus on their studies, work on campus, or attend classes.

As the youngest population on campus, the ITLS students range from infants to toddlers.

The lab school is staffed by students pursuing their child development careers and is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The students of the center showed smiling faces as they excitedly walked with their parents and teachers around the campus and through buildings to escape the rain. The walk started at the ITLS play yard, went through the bridge in the Behavioral Sciences building, and continued down the Coyote Walkway until reaching the SMSU South building where attendees took a break from the sprinkling rain and continued their walk inside.

With some students laughing or causing noise by kicking their feet against the wagon in excitement, it was easy to say that the attempt to bring awareness to the center’s cause was successful. All eyes were on these young students for people who passed by the ITLS crew. Teachers had also previously made noise makers for the excited toddlers to hold and use while they rode in their multi-seated strollers around the campus.

The staff and students of the center returned acknowledging that the event was truly a success.

“Our center was thrilled to participate in Womxn’s History Month with our first annual Wagon Walk Event in collaboration with Dr. Angie Otiniano Verissimo,” said ITLS staff in their memo regarding the event.

Regardless of the attempts by the rain to wash these walkers out, they remained diligent and the students shined bright with their mothers at this ITLS event.