Child Study Association of Maryland manuscript collection

The Child Study Association of Maryland (C.S.A.) grew out the Society for the Study of Child Nature which was formed in 1888 in New York by five women who were seeking education on childrearing. The group quickly expanded across the United States with other study groups cropping up in Baltimore, Chicago, and other major cities. The society’s work focused on the philosophy and science of child development, and experts in fields such as psychology, education, and science frequently gave lectures to the groups on the latest developments and theories in their fields. The organization underwent reorganization and name changes as it expanded. In 1924, the federation of societies in different cities was organized under the title “The Child Study Association of America.”

The Maryland association was very active and led child study classes in public schools across the state. The chapters even funded and equipped a nursery school laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. As the times changed, the mission of the association adjusted. During World War II, the group focused on day care initiatives and ran summer camps. In 1945, C.S.A. began broadcasting a radio show which featured talks with child study experts, information on child-friendly community activities, and more. By the end of the 1950’s, this became an educational television show on WMAR-TV. C.S.A. was also a major proponent of kindergarten and focused its efforts on state-wide public kindergarten classes. Other community initiatives included the implementation of 911 and building playgrounds. By the early 2000’s, membership had begun to decline. While the Maryland association outlasted the national organization by almost three decades, the group folded in 2005.