IT'S 11:00 A.M. AND THE INSTITUTE OF CHILD STUDY (ICS) IS BUSTLING WITH activity. In one corner of the main foyer, graduate students sit cross-legged on the floor, deep in conversation. An open doorway offers a glimpse into a classroom where young children are clustered in animated groups, busily working on the lessons of the day.

The stairwells echo with kids' voices, right up to the third floor where many of ICS's researchers reside. In this environment, it is easy to see how faculty members stay connected to their work; the constant presence of children serves as a daily reminder of the impact of what they do.

And they do a lot. The institute, part of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE/UT) and its Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, has a threefold mandate: conducting cutting-edge research, training professionals and graduate students to become leading teachers, and developing innovative learning environments through its Laboratory School. These mandates intersect on every level, and the research that happens here - a snapshot of which can be found on pages 6 and 7 - has a firm footing in the real world of the classroom.
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