Setup Plan

At the Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center in Peoria, Illinois, the selection of basic equipment and the planning of room layouts were done by the Professional Development Coordinator. Although it would have been desirable for teachers to design their own room layouts, the ordering process and time limitations prohibited this approach. Teachers were permitted and encouraged to make changes in the basic room arrangement as they lived in the classrooms.

A basic layout for each classroom was provided to Beckley-Cardy Company, which provided the classroom furniture and equipment. As part of the contractual services, Beckley-Cardy unloaded and unpacked equipment, placed furniture in each classroom according to the room layouts, and removed all packing materials from the center. Approximately one week was needed to set up 20 classrooms with basic equipment. More than 8,000 blocks were unloaded, sorted, and placed on shelves. A team of teenage volunteers assisted in labeling shelves, inventorying, and distributing the manipulatives, materials, and supplies.