Contact: Maridith Geuder
A May 9 silent auction and open house will introduce Mississippi State's Child Development and Family Studies Center to new members of the community while helping raise funds for new playground equipment at the facility.
The 9,000-square-foot complex at 501 Collegeview St. is an experimental child study laboratory sponsored by the university's School of Human Sciences. Pre-school students enrolled follow a daily schedule of activities appropriate for their age group, with field trips and targeted activities available for older children.
Sponsored by the center's Parent Advisory Council, the silent auction will allow bids 7:30-9:30 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. on approximately 50 donated items, including restaurant gift certificates, autographed books, athletic T-shirts, and a variety of gift bags, among others.
"Children's artwork also will be available for bid," said center director Julie M. Dibble. Because of limited staffing, no bids will be accepted by telephone, she added.
The 5:30-7:30 p.m. open house will feature refreshments and facility tours, as well as presentation of the silent auction items.
In addition to equipping two outdoor playgrounds, the advisory group also seeks "to increase awareness of the center as the child development center of choice in the Starkville area and an excellent educational facility," said committee chair Anne L. Balazs.
"We hope to raise at least $2,000 through this parent-sponsored event and to encourage the community to see firsthand the resources provided by the center," she said. Currently, several openings remain for 4- to 5-year-olds among a total of 16 student slots.
Completed in 1998 following a fund-raising effort led, in part, by then-president Donald Zacharias, the Child Development and Family Studies Center allows students and interns to complete required educational experiences under the supervision of MSU faculty and staff. The center also works cooperatively with other campus departments and colleges.