Kiddie College
One of the most important institutions of the Back of the College neighborhood was the Kiddie College, a pre-K and kindergarten program developed by Rev. Walter and Sophie Hart. Located at 529 Jones St., close to where Gibbs Stadium sits currently. Kiddie College was modeled after Wofford’s liberal arts curriculum and emphasis on educating the whole person. Students at Kiddie College studied geography, biology, mathematics, social studies, English and visual art; they participated on football teams, cheerleading squads and marching bands; they performed in pageants and musicals, and they all attended their prom and graduation ceremony. Catherine Mann Garner, former resident and teacher at Cumming Street School, noted that Kiddie College was “essential…to the importance of early education” for children in the neighborhood. Indeed, the success of Kiddie College demonstrated the community’s commitment to education and instilled in its students the practice of life-long learning. Former resident, Ms. Norma Green, remembered vividly making a working volcano for the annual science fair.