How It All Started

The Hanna Fenichel Center is named in memory of Dr. Hanna Fenichel, a psychoanalyst and educator known for her work in the field of early child development and for her association with The School for Nursery Years in Los Angeles. The Center was founded in 1975 by the San Diego Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. Members of the Institute continue to participate on the Board of Trustees and provide support to the Center.

The school has been endorsed and its philosophy is based on a distinguished group of international professionals in early childhood development including: Erik Erikson, Rudolph Ekstein, Ph.D., Anna Freud, Merton Gil, M.D., and Ralph R. Greenson, M.D.

The Hanna Fenichel Center for Child Development offers educational programs planned and structured to meet the developmental needs of the whole child. We recognize the equal importance of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth to the well being of the young child. Utilizing this philosophy, the teachers, parents and school consultants work together to provide a climate for enhancing the innate developmental potential in each child.

Young children learn by doing, therefore our curriculum is partly determined by the child's own interests. Learning is also expressed as exploring in order to discover personal meaning. To encourage this behavior, teachers initiate activities that are designed to expand children's interests. Teachers are also responsible for asking stimulating questions and for supplying information, materials and guidance. The Center provides children an opportunity to investigate and use a wide variety of educational materials. The school curriculum includes:

• Creative Art
  
• Dramatic Play
  
• Cooking
• Science and Mathematics Experience
• Conversation Time
• Children’s Literature
• Poetry, Puppets, Finger Play
• Music
• Outdoor Play
• Field Trips