The Child, Family and Society Core Curriculum pathway offers students the opportunity to learn about children from several disciplinary perspectives, to learn about the societal and cultural structures that provide the context for child development such as the family and school, and to gain experience working with children in the community.
The many course options that deal with cultures, schools, and social institutions should also facilitate the students understanding of the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child." There are courses in this pathway that inform students about how children develop physically and psychologically including how they think and feel and communicate through the arts. Some courses focus on learning at school. Other courses provide perspective on the many different systems of beliefs and values that exist in our world concerning how children should be raised and educated. Still others introduce students to the many professional fields that address the needs of children and families, such as teaching, counseling, social work, family law, public health, and medicine.