WCDC Partnerships

As a lab school for Widener University, our center often hosts University students and faculty from the College of Education and related fields to engage in clinical field experience, observations, lesson presentations, and research. Our partnerships across campus as well as within the community allow us to provide our CDC students many enrichment opportunities. In addition, they allow us to offer additional supports to our CDC students from individuals specializing in various fields across the School of Health and Human Services.

Read about our partnerships across campus as well as within the community below!

Widener University Campus Safety

With only two doors allowing entrance into the building, our students safety is of the utmost priority. Both doors are locked at all times, with the exception of the back door when students are on the playground. Further ensuring our student’s safety, both the director as well as the administrative support specialist have 24-7 access to a camera overlooking the playground, the front door, and the centers parking lot. All individuals must ring the doorbell to gain entrance into the building. In addition, Widener’s Campus Safety office provides additional security with 24-hour video access to the CDC with campus safety officers frequently stopping by the premises.

Widener University’s College of Education

The WCDC often collaborates with the professors from the College of Education welcoming University students for observations. In addition, students frequently implement lessons as part of their class assignments from classes covering subjects such as the arts, STEM, and literacy. Our music wall on our playground was built in collaboration with a local carpenter by students from the Integrating the Arts class of the Spring of 2023.

Speech and Language Pathology

As a part of our partnership with the Chester Community Clinic of Widener University, we work with the Speech Language Pathology Department to offer individualized speech services free of cost to qualifying students.

Occupational Therapy

Here at the WCDC, we host many occupational therapy students for fieldwork from Level 1 OT students to Doctorate students. Our OTs utilize their knowledge of the field to provide our students with individual supports. In addition, our Doctorate students complete their capstone projects here at the center as the final requirement of their program. Our Doctorate’s capstones often result in overall enhancements to our programming, such as updated sensory aspects to both our classrooms and our playground, individualized OT based accommodations for students, as well as an outside garden!

Early Intervention

In working with the Delaware County Intermediate Unit as well as Elwyn and local ABA companies, our staff and teachers at the WCDC work with therapists assigned to individual students ensuring all accommodations outlined in IEPs are met.

In addition, the CDC also collaborates with Widener’s Social Work Department, the University’s Child Therapy Clinic, and hosts Soccer Shots for monthly soccer sessions for our students! Emphasizing the arts, Miss Sarah from Mosden Music Company LLC also comes for weekly music sessions!