Rollins student and pre-school child play in a fort together.

Different research opportunities, independent studies, and internships are available at the Child Development Center. We welcome faculty and students from any department to participate and conduct research with young children and their families. Faculty sponsors are required, as well as approval from the Executive Director of the Child Development Center.

Ethics for the Very Young book cover

Ongoing Research Project

Philosophy with Young Children

This ongoing project with the 4-year-old children and Director Diane Doyle was developed with Dr. Erik Kenyon's philosophy students from 2015-2020. The curriculum was compiled into an Early Childhood curriculum book coauthored by Dr. Kenyon, Diane Doyle and Dr. Carnahan. Ethics for the Very Young was published in 2019.

Ethics for the Very Young

2024-2025 Special Courses and Projects

Psychology

Dr. Alice Davidson's Developmental Psychology Students learn observation skills while studying child development.

Education

Dr. Jie Yu's students will create lesson plans for teachers to implement studying Diversity in Early Education.

Physics

Dr. Whitney Coyle's RCC students will demonstrate to the children how electrical current works by creating mechanisms for conductivity using regular items.