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While the Auburn University Early Learning Center (AUELC) is designed for preschool children, with attention to small, cozy spots, its far-reaching impact over the past century is anything but small. The lives and families it has touched are countless, making its 100th anniversary a remarkable milestone.

For Sharon Wilbanks and her daughter Olivia Wilbanks, The Auburn University Early Learning Center is not just a place, it is a center that’s molded and shaped them as a family.

Beginning as a graduate teaching assistant at Auburn University from 1991-93, then serving as a teacher from 1994-2004 and ascending to director from 2008-2026 before her retirement this year, the AUELC has always been a huge part of Sharon Wilbanks’ life.

“I don't think I can articulate what my life would be like without the influence of this place, and all of the people who came before me, the people I learned from, the mentors, previous directors and other teachers that have shaped me as a human.”

Former AUELC Director Sharon Wilbanks

“I don't think I can articulate what my life would be like without the influence of this place, and all of the people who came before me, the people I learned from, the mentors, previous directors and other teachers that have shaped me as a human,” said Sharon Wilbanks. “They have shaped me as a parent, and they have shaped me as a teacher.”

A present day group photo of teachers and students at the AUELC.

For Sharon Wilbanks, far left, and her daughter Olivia Wilbanks, third from left, The Auburn University Early Learning Center is not just a place, it is a center that’s molded and shaped them as a family.

A CENTER FOCUSED ON CHANGING LIVES

The AUELC is an accredited laboratory preschool serving children ages 2, 3, 4, and 5 years old rooted in the teaching philosophy that the facility is grounded in the concept of developmentally appropriate practice in which children “learn by doing.” 

In short, the AUELC focuses on preparing children for life rather than just kindergarten readiness, emphasizing problem-solving skills and life experiences.

Beyond that, the center changes lives.

Sharon Wilbanks gave one example of a child who came to the AUELC after being asked to leave a previous program for inappropriate behavior and struggling with regulating his emotions. But in two short years, a child blossomed and a once broken family experienced hope and healing.

“The parents brought him to us, and they were just broken as a family,” said Sharon Wilbanks. “They were heartbroken for their child because they knew he had the ability to do great things, and he was struggling. And so, over the course of time that he was with us, you just watched him blossom and turn into the coolest kid that you just love to spend time with that is compassionate and smart. We watched him go into kindergarten, and we know that this child is going to be successful in life and not just for kindergarten readiness. I'll tell every single parent that asks me we don't really care if they're ready for kindergarten, we want them to be ready for life.”

While the AUELC has a great impact on children’s lives, the same can be said for the head teachers, teaching assistants and graduate students at the center as they work toward an advanced degree in the Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) or related field of study. Further down the line, the majority of these young professionals become parents of their own.

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“As undergraduate students, they are very young when they come to us and then they come out and they become these amazing professionals who are changing the world,” said Sharon Wilbanks. “And then we have these parents who are learning from us. One parent recently told one of our teachers, ‘the thing I learned the most from you had really nothing to do with my child in terms of their education, but I learned how to parent better by watching how you interact with the child,’ and so that impacts generationally.”

A FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT

Olivia Wilbanks represents just one success story out of the thousands of preschoolers who have come through the highly successful program.

Her story is unique in that she enrolled in the AUELC program as a 4-year-old and in a full-circle moment, she returned to the AUELC where she worked in the lab as an Auburn undergraduate student as she obtained her bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Science in May 2026.

“I still have lifelong friendships from that 4-year-old classroom that I think really goes to show just how powerful those friendship-making skills are for 4-year-olds,” said Olivia Wilbanks. “I loved being a student there and I learned how to be adaptable and being okay with things changing and experimenting and trying new things. And then coming back in college, I needed service-learning hours, and mom mentioned I could come to AUELC, and I was a little hesitant but I'm so glad I did.”

Olivia Wilbanks’ service-learning hours began in the two-year-old classroom where for roughly seven hours per week, she got to work with head teacher Jenna Mackay and learn about the children and their personalities and see how they view the world. The next year, she followed the children to the 3-year-old classroom where she worked with head teacher Jennifer Wood.

“It was really awesome to see the way that they teach and the way they introduce things to the children,” said Olivia Wilbanks. “Each teacher teaches differently, but has the same values, which I really appreciate. It was valuable to see the kids also progress in those values, and progress in learning how friendship progresses as you get older.”

Lastly, she got to spend time in the four-year-old classroom where she was able to analyze behavior and watch children’s progress over the course of a semester.

In another full-circle moment, Olivia Wilbanks worked with Assistant Director Margaret Vollenweider who was Olivia’s teacher as a 4-year-old.

“She's been my preschool teacher, my lab instructor and my college professor,” said Olivia Wilbanks. “I love being in the four-year-old classroom. You can really see it click in their heads like, ‘I have the power to do this. I have the willful choice to be a good friend here, or I can pitch a fit.’ You can see the gears turning in their head at that age. It's been really sweet to see them grow.”

LOOKING TOWARD A BRIGHT FUTURE AND A LEGACY OF WONDER

For Sharon and Olivia Wilbanks and the AUELC overall, the future looks bright and dreams will continue to be fulfilled for the next century and beyond.

Olivia Wilbanks is continuing her academic journey this fall as she began graduate school for counseling, but she found her true foundation in her HDFS degree and time spent at the AUELC.

“The beauty of HDFS is that you can do anything that helps people and within that degree, you can go a bunch of different ways,” said Olivia Wilbanks. “As I got to college and was picking a major it felt like a no-brainer to go with HDFS. I feel like it’s very important that HDFS and the Early Learning Center live on with that legacy of wonder because that is not something you see in every school. You can learn so much through play because it's the universal language and I think that the Early Learning Center is so important because it really teaches you to see children differently and see them as tiny adults.”

As Olivia Wilbanks begins graduate school concentrating on mental health counseling, her plan is to hopefully work with children and adolescents when it comes to grief and loss mixing her child life interests with a counseling aspect.

No matter what Olivia Wilbanks accomplishes in the future, it’s abundantly clear that she, along with thousands of other children, found success in the AUELC model built on learning by doing and emphasizing the importance of play and active learning.

For Sharon Wilbanks, she retired from the AUELC after serving 18 years as the director, leading the center and program to great heights during her tenure.

“I want this to continue to be the beacon of joy and wonder that it is for families in our community.”

Former AUELC Director Sharon Wilbanks
For 100 years, the AUELC in the College of Human Sciences has been shaping young lives while serving as a living laboratory for learning, teaching and research.

For 100 years, the AUELC in the College of Human Sciences has been shaping young lives while serving as a living laboratory for learning, teaching and research.

“I want this to continue to be the beacon of joy and wonder that it is for families in our community,” said Sharon Wilbanks. “We serve so many families who are not happy with what they're finding in other programs. They feel like there's more out there for their child, or their child just doesn't really fit into a typical learning environment. They come here and see success. I want the legacy to continue to be to serve as many families as we can and to be open to all families.”

One of the AUELC catchphrases is “The Legacy of Wonder” that was established following the AUELC’s move to its new space inside the Dawson Center when T-shirts were made with the catchphrase.

“I think that really encompasses all of it, that it’s just this joy of learning,” said Sharon Wilbanks. “We want everything, as much as possible when they're here, to be about the joy of figuring things out, the exploration, the fun of figuring out what happens when you build things and learn to be a good friend. That would be the legacy that I want to see continue.”

As for continuing the family legacy, Sharon Wilbanks grandson will begin preschool at the AUELC in the fall of 2027 as the center continues to shape young lives for generations.

For more information on the Auburn University Early Learning Center, visit the link below.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS