Toddler teacher Marisa Hughes sits with her Jackrabbits who are throwing a tea party.

Macey Children’s Center at New Mexico Tech has earned the best rating possible from the accrediting agency the National Association for the Education of Young Children—five stars. The news came in late June, and to celebrate the accomplishment with the entire Tech community, an open house was held last week.

“The educators had a huge task in front of them with documenting, learning and applying new techniques during a significant growth phase at the Center,” said Nowka Gutierrez, executive director of Auxiliary Services at NMT. Gutierrez was involved in the process to secure grant money for the improvements.

Autumn Haworth, center director, was brought in last October to drive the accreditation process over the finish line. “The teachers were already deep into the plan, and I was told, ‘This is what you will do as the new director,’” she said. “And we did it!”

Haworth was raised in Socorro and taught pre-K through sixth grade for many years in Socorro schools.

Center director Autumn Haworth beams as she welcomes visitors to the reception celebrating accreditation.

The road to five stars was not easy. The standards of the NAEYC are rigorous and involve a wide variety of components and tasks. Childcare centers must measure up on everything: square-footage-to-child ratios; teacher-to-child ratios; sensory, emotional and cognitive toys and games; safety and security measures; a common curriculum that spans from infants to nine-year-olds; a schedule that offers structure and variety; teacher training; and communication protocols between teachers, aides, parents, and children. Even the parking area for pick-up and drop-off is in the mix.

Upon entering, whether it’s through the regular doors or the special child-sized one, the Macey Children’s Center has a modern, nurturing feel. The staff has overhauled every square inch of the building, adding a new playground just for the Quails (infants), recycling old or broken toys and books in every classroom, and so much more to create a consistent level of quality throughout.

In the classrooms for older children—Jackrabbits (toddlers), Roadrunners (preschoolers), and Reptiles (five- to nine-year-olds)—every corner floor-to-ceiling is dedicated to learning and exploration.

The evidence of the five stars is visible in the happy, busy, laughing kids. At the open house, they eagerly lined up for cake, chips, and dip, then got back to riding tricycles, listening to stories, or doing a quick hallway dash.

Toddlers race down the hallway as teachers calmly watch.

Macey Children’s Center is the only NAEYC accredited children’s center in the region, serving families of staff and students at Tech, but also the greater Socorro community. In New Mexico, there are few universities that have children’s centers on campus. For some students and faculty, this is a vital resource and bears weight on the decision to choose New Mexico Tech for college or employment.

The teachers at the center are Hannelore Fuierer, Katelynn Montoya, Maria Garza, Georgia Jean Saavedra, Marisa Hughes, and Melissa Sullivan. Nicole Crespin is a teacher assistant, and student teacher assistants are NMT students Rubin Sheldon, Zayden Brieno, Faith Morris, Takayla Montoya, Kakoli Khatun.

NAEYC certificate of Accreditation