Andover, MA 01810
(978) 684-5055
Our commitment
At SHED Children's Campus, learning is joyful, meaningful, and led by each child's unique path.
We believe in meeting children where they are, nurturing their growth through relationships, play, and hands-on exploration. Read on to gain a deeper understanding of what drives our work: our mission, teaching philosophy, dedicated staff, and the values that shape every experience at SHED.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our community and what makes SHED so special. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our work with you and hope you feel the care, intention, and joy that lives here each day.
Linda Shottes Bouchard, Executive Director
Our approach
At SHED Children’s Campus, we know that strong relationships are at the heart of every child’s growth. We embrace the principles of secure attachment, inspired by the work of Dr. Dan Brown, as a guide for how we interact with children and how we help them interact with one another.
Our values
Our values guide how we teach, how we care, and how we grow as a community.
We treat every child’s voice, feelings, and experiences as valuable.
Non-demanding availability, showing children they are never alone but always free to explore.
We listen, watch, and respond thoughtfully so children feel truly seen and known.
We celebrate children with genuine joy, making sure they feel loved and valued for who they are.
We encourage autonomy and self-expression while providing a safe, secure base.
When missteps or conflicts happen, we model acknowledgment, repair, and forgiveness.
By weaving these practices into daily life, children experience not only joyful learning but also the foundations of trust, confidence, and empathy: qualities that last far beyond their years at SHED.
These five pillars work together to create an environment where children feel confident, curious, and connected.
This is how we support not just academic readiness, but lifelong growth.
In the Reggio Emilia approach, the environment is considered the “third teacher.” At SHED, nature is a central part of that environment.
Research consistently shows that children who spend time outdoors are more focused, less anxious, more creative, and more engaged in learning.
Our campus provides daily access to open, natural spaces where children explore, move, and interact freely. Learning happens in the woods, in the seasons, in the weather, and in the unexpected moments nature provides.
Children are not following instructions. They are discovering, questioning, and engaging with the world around them.
Nature supports more than physical movement. It builds confidence through independence, sparks imagination through unstructured play, and reduces stress by allowing children to engage in a calmer, more natural rhythm of attention.
It invites curiosity, wonder, and deeper thinking in a way no classroom alone can replicate.
The way children experience themselves internally shapes how they move through the world.
Mindfulness has been widely studied as a tool to support emotional regulation, attention, and resilience. Research shows it can reduce anxiety, improve focus, and help children respond to challenges with greater awareness.
Mindfulness is not a single activity. It is woven into the way we teach, listen, and interact. Children are given space to pause, reflect, breathe, and recognize their emotions. Educators model calm, thoughtful responses and guide children in developing awareness of themselves and others.
This awareness extends beyond the self, into the small, everyday choices we encourage, from how children care for shared spaces to how they think about their impact on the world. Even using the water bottle refill stations around campus becomes a chance to practice thoughtful consumption and care for the environment.
When children feel grounded and understood, they are more confident, more capable, and more open to learning.
Mindfulness helps children build the skills to manage emotions, develop empathy, and navigate social situations with intention rather than reaction.
Children develop their sense of self through connection.
A strong, supportive community helps children understand their place in the world and builds the confidence to engage with it.
Community at SHED is active and visible. Children collaborate, problem solve together, and contribute to shared experiences. Families, educators, and local partners are all part of this extended community.
From group projects to shared responsibilities, children experience what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Community builds belonging.
It helps children develop empathy, communication skills, and social awareness. It encourages them to grow outward, forming meaningful relationships with others while strengthening their connection to themselves.
Gardening brings learning to life in a tangible, meaningful way.
It connects children to natural cycles, food systems, and the responsibility of caring for living things.
With 19 organic gardens on campus, children are actively involved in planting, tending, and harvesting throughout the seasons.
They work together, observe change over time, and participate in real outcomes like harvesting and sharing food.
Gardening teaches patience, responsibility, and cause and effect. It builds confidence through real achievement, encourages teamwork, and deepens a child’s connection to nature and community.
It also introduces foundational concepts in science, nutrition, and environmental awareness through hands-on experience.
The Reggio Emilia approach is the philosophical foundation that guides everything we do.
It views children as capable, curious, and full of potential, and recognizes that learning happens in many forms, often referred to as the “hundred languages of children.”
Educators act as guides rather than directors. We observe, document, and build learning experiences around children’s interests and questions. The environment, materials, and interactions are all intentionally designed to support exploration and discovery.
Learning evolves alongside the child.
This approach fosters independence, critical thinking, creativity, and confidence.
Children are not simply taught what to think. They are supported in learning how to think, question, and express themselves in meaningful ways.
“Children are not things to be molded, but people to be unfolded.”
At SHED, we embrace the Reggio Emilia belief that children learn and express themselves in a hundred different languages, through movement, art, conversation, curiosity, play, and more. We see the whole child mind, body, and soul, interconnected and alive with potential. Our role as educators is to create rich, responsive environments that honor each child’s unique language of learning and give them the time, space, and support to unfold.
Every language draws on the whole child. Hover a circle or a language.
The Reggio Emilia philosophy
At SHED, we're inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, a philosophy that sees children as capable, curious, and full of potential. This short video offers a glimpse of what that means in practice: following the child's lead, creating rich learning environments, and fostering strong relationships among educators, children, and families.
Watch the video
Our educators
Facilitating learning one question at a time.
Our educators bring diverse backgrounds and experiences, giving children the chance to learn from many perspectives each day. This helps them grow into open, curious, and compassionate learners.
What SHED families share in their Google reviews.
Schedule a campus tour today and see what joyful, curious, and child-led learning looks like.
