Years of planning, organizing and dreaming have finally led to the official opening of the new Childhood Development Center at Cerritos College; nine years and 6.1 million dollars later.

“It feels amazing, ” said Debra Ward, director of the Child Development Center.

Parents, children, and staff all gathered in front of the new building for speeches of recognition, the official ribbon cutting, and a rousing performance of songs sung by the kids, complete with hand motions and foot stomps.

The center’s layout was designed with all of California’s different terrains in mind. Appropriately so, its sectioned themes include a mountainous area, a ‘big city’, an ocean and beach, and a desert.

“The design,” Ward explained, “was developed off the concept of what our image of the child is […] children are competent, they’re capable, so what would that look like?”

That ended up looking like a sprawled out jungle gym with endless possibilities, including an art center, a sports field, a garden for fruit and vegetables, an animal and agriculture area, a sand pit, a playhouse, and tricycles.

If the center’s logo appears to be made by a child, that’s because it was; Maya Sarni drew the design when she was only four-years-old. “I was inspired by the school,” Sarni , who is now in third grade, said of her super hero design, “so I decided to do something that represented the school.”

Marlen Murray, an associate teacher at the center, explained their philosophy.

“It’s really about the children experimenting and being able to try out things and see if it works, and if it doesn’t being creative and making things happen on their own, and this place is just perfect for that[…] we’re all really excited about what’s going to happen here.”

While the center will be used to teach and give children different experiences, it will also be used to educate Cerritos students in child development.

After the official proceedings the doors of the playground opened to the first crowd of children to test out the expansive equipment

As proud of the center as the staff is, it also gets approval from the children.

“It’s really cool”, Sarni said enthusiastically of the center. “I’m also really impressed.”