About the NAU Early Learning and Development Center

Northern Arizona University’s Early Learning and Development Center (ELDC) is minutes from our flagship campus in Flagstaff, Arizona, and operates year-round. The NAU ELDC serves children ages 2–5 of NAU students, employees, and community members. NAU enrolls a mixture of traditional and non-traditional students, is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, and has the unique mission to become the leading university serving Native Americans.

We view children from an asset lens—meaning we embrace their individual strengths—and our curricular design will highlight the unique capabilities of each child while supporting their holistic needs. Through inquiry-based learning, children will explore the world around them and their role in it with opportunities for real-world creative problem solving. Our educators value each child as an individual and celebrate the unique perspectives of all families in our program.

Who we serve

As of fall 2022, over a third of students attending NAU were eligible for a Pell grant, and many of these low-income students are also parents. To help offset the pressures placed on student parents, the NAU ELDC will prioritize Pell-eligible students but also intends to serve all NAU students, our faculty and staff, and the broader Flagstaff community.

What is a lab school?

The ELDC is a lab school that operates within Northern Arizona University.  It is a place where students can observe, study, demonstrate, and teach in an innovative early childhood setting.  Programming includes the following:

• A location to model and implement exemplary teaching practices with students in a variety of programs
• A high-quality early learning program that serves children, families, and teachers through inquiry-based learning
• A professional development lab for current and future educators
• A research space for practitioners, faculty, and students studying child development, education, inclusion, health and human services, or other programs of study