The morning is crisp.

The sun is bright.

The first Saturday of every month brings screams and laughter to the Schauerman Library lawn at El Camino.

Children zero to five years old play with their parents along the shaded grass on blue-and-red foldable resting mats.

Children play with blocks, balls, and magnets for fun to help with their cognitive skills like learning, reading, and paying attention.

After an hour of free time, the parents and children gather for music, embracing their motto: “It takes a village to raise a child.”

The Child Development Club hosts a free event called ‘You and Me’ Playgroup every first Saturday of each month. This event is for students who are parents to enjoy quality time with their children.

The club is known for its You and Me Playgroup and its dedication to providing resources and a safe space for parents and educators.

The Child Development Club has also collaborated with other programs on campus like The Formerly Incarcerated Re-Entry Student Thriving program, Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education, and the Extended Opportunity Program and Services.

“We talk about disability, caring for children, parenting, all of that super awesome stuff that people get a lot of information out of,” 20-year-old Interclub Council Representative for the Child Development Club Alison Rafters said. “It’s really cool.”

The club collaborates with these programs to offer workshops to students during club meetings every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. via Zoom or in person in the Art and Behavioral Science Building, room 305.

“We also like the table at a lot of events. We want to get the word out about our club because we don’t really just focus on students here, we also focus on like the general larger community,” Rafters said.

Club and cabinet members volunteer during tabling events and the ‘You and Me’ Playgroup to gain hands-on experiences.

“The reason I volunteer is [because] I like working with kids,” 45-year-old child development major and club member Marco Vasquez said. “I joined the Child Development club to learn and to teach others what I have learned.”

Vasquez said he wanted to provide general information about being a kid and how to interact and socialize with kids.

“I want people to know that the club exists,” 26-year-old club President Nicholas Nilam-Hall said. “I couldn’t be prouder of our club members and our cabinet.”

Nilam-Hall said one thing the club is trying to bring back is the Child Development Center, located across the street on the other side of parking Lot L. The center has been closed for a couple of years since COVID-19 hit.

“It used to actually offer childcare for students on campus,” Rafters said. “Our practicum students would work there and get paid.”

Practicum students must observe and gain hands-on experience with children in a supervised childcare setting.

“It provided resources for parents on campus,” Rafters said. “They [El Camino] are requiring a lot of money to bring it back.”

Nilam-Hall said the amount to bring back the Child Development Center is around $1 million.

“We’re supposed to be moving to the new building next semester, all of the childhood education classes,” Rafters said.

Nilam-Hall said if the Child Development Center gets demolished, he hopes they can bring the program back into the new building.

“The Child Development club is absolutely phenomenal and amazing,” full-time faculty member of the Childhood Education Department at El Camino and club advisor Cynthia Cervantes said.

Cervantes said her family had been involved with the club since the pandemic.

“Everything we do is very relevant for me as a parent,” Cervantes said.

Cervantes loves the Child Development Club and hopes it continues growing.

“Our students are amazing, and I admire our students very much, and I respect everything they do for us because they volunteer so much,” Cervantes said. “I have never seen a club that gives so much to the campus.”

The next “You and Me” Playgroup will take place on Saturday, May 6, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in front of the Schauerman Library lawn.

Editor’s Notes: Uploaded video on June 8.