Creating a Caring Educational Community

The Child Educational Center is an innovative, nationally-accredited early care and education organization with a pioneering focus on progressive education and outdoor learning. The CEC’s programs have served as a leader in early childhood education since 1979, and emphasize a commitment to nurturing children’s physical and psychological well-being.

The CEC was initially created in 1979 by Elyssa and Eric Nelson at the request of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which sought an early childhood center to support parents and to provide high-quality care and education.

In 1994, the CEC began providing consulting services on the design, development and implementation of child care programs through our initiative, the Outdoor Classroom Project.