What is Broadoaks?
Broadoaks is one of the oldest and most well respected demonstration schools in the United States. Founded in 1906, its mission is to provide a "learning laboratory" for college students and faculty in child development, psychology, education, health services, social work, pre-law, child advocacy, and other fields serving children and their families.

Where is Broadoaks?
Broadoaks occupies several buildings at the north-eastern corner of the Whittier Colege campus, between the Music Building (Arnold Hall) and Philadelphia House.

How old are the students at Broadoaks?
Broadoaks children range from 2 1/2 to 14 years of age, in preschool through 8th grade. They come from all walks of life. Broadoaks also has a summer program for preschool and summer academies for students in kindergarten through ninth grade. .

What can Whittier College students do at Broadoaks?
Whittier College students are always welcome at Broadoaks. Opportunities include

WORK STUDY: For WC students, these jobs range from working directly with children to working in the school office in a variety of administrative support capacities. As students gain experience, they become eligible for increasingly more responsible positions. (Interviews at Job Faire during Orientation Week. Hired students must attend a one-unit course, CHDV 11.)

OTHER JOBS: Some positions may be available for students who do not qualify for work study. (Interviews at Job Faire during Orientation Week. Hired students must attend a one-unit course, CHDV 11.)

UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWS: Each year one or two outstanding students are selected to join the school's professional staff. This honor is typically reserved for juniors and seniors with previous work experience at Broadoaks.

RESEARCH TEAMS: Whittier College faculty in child development, education, psychology and related fields are involved in numerous interesting and important research studies. Faculty members recruit interested students for their research teams. Students may earn credit for participating. Recent studies have focused on children's conflicts, friendships, ethnic identity development, and truthfulness as eye witnesses. Contact Judith Wagner, Broadoaks School Director and Professor of Child Development and Education, for information about on-going research projects. Her email address is jwagner@whittier.edu

CHILD ADVOCACY: Broadoaks is home to the first collegiate chapter of an international child advocacy organization known as OMEP (Organization Mondiale pour l'Education Préscolaire). Past projects included working with Broadoaks students in the Children Helping Children project, supporting a local Women's and Children's Crisis Center or local drug rehabilitation for mothers and children by giving stuffed cozy animals and toys, collecting new books for children in local homeless shelters, giving food grown in the school gardens to the local soup kitchen, and taking needy local children shopping for clothing. Meetings are open to students and others interested in how global issues affect children. Members watch films, such as CHILDREN UNDERGROUND, an award-winning documentary about homeless children in Romania surviving in a subway station, and host conversations about how issues in these types of documentary films are related to the premises in the Convention on the Rights of the Child document.

FOR UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES: INTERESTED IN BEGINNING YOUR OWN CHILD ADVOCACY GROUP? OMEP Student Chapter Guidelines detail ideas to get started.

HONOR SOCIETY: Broadoaks is also home to one of the nation's oldest honor societies in Early Childhood Education, Delta Phi Upsilon (DPU). Each spring, faculty nominate outstanding students who are then initiated during an evening ceremony at Broadoaks Children's School. Those interested in continuing educational scholarships must maintain a current membership in DPU. Scholarship applications are due each March 1 and are available at Broadoaks Children’s School.

For more information, contact Kathleen Pompey
at (562) 907-4937 or kpompey@whittier.edu.