Enrollment opens Monday, June 30, 2025 and will remain open until all spots for each semester are filled. Priority will be given to those students who enroll in the full-year option.

Launch Pad Introduction to School is designed to provide a nurturing, play-based learning environment for preschool-aged children who are able to participate safely and independently in a group setting. While we are committed to inclusion and support a range of learning styles and developmental levels, our staff is not specifically trained or equipped to support children with significant medical needs or severe developmental challenges that require specialized care.

If you have questions about whether our program is a good fit for your child, we encourage you to reach out to our staff to discuss your child’s individual needs prior to enrollment.

No. The academic-year tuition to the program includes a yearlong CML Family Membership. Current members will have their membership extended for the duration of their child's time in school.

No documents are needed to apply. However, if your child is selected for enrollment, you will need to provide the following to register:   

• Medical Report Form that includes a physician’s statement & signature  
• Current Immunization Record that includes a physician’s signature & date 
• Medical Insurance Information (if covered)  
• Policy Acknowledgements  
• Hold Harmless & Indemnity Agreement  
• Confidential Information Form  
• Release of Child Authorization 
• Ointment/Sunscreen Authorization
• Emergency Contact Information
• Medical Release Form
• Guidance & Discipline Policy Confirmation

Once offered a spot, you will have 48 hours to accept or decline the offer by processing a $160 nonrefundable enrollment fee to confirm the child’s spot in the school.   

After 48 hours, if payment is not received, your spot will go to the next student on the waitlist.

This means that your child is placed on the waitlist for the Launch Lab Introduction to School. Your child will move up as students accept and decline a spot on the offered list. If your child moves up to the offered list, we will send you an acceptance message, and you will have 48 hours to accept or decline the offer by processing a $160 nonrefundable enrollment fee to confirm your child’s spot in the program.

Yes. If a family is offered a spot and has more than one child that meets the criteria for enrollment, and there is a spot available, then all children within that family will be accepted into the program. (Note: “Sibling” means biological or legally adopted. Cousins, nieces, nephews, and unrelated children in the home are not considered siblings.

Once you’ve accepted your offer of enrollment, we will send you a welcome email with the required forms you need as well as our LLIS handbook. To be fully enrolled, all families must submit completed documentation and must have paid the enrollment fee within 48 hours of acceptance.

Fall Semester tuition is due August 1, 2025.  Spring Semester tuition is due December 15, 2025. Payments can be made online (link coming soon) or in person at the museum during normal operating hours. We do not accept checks as a form of payment for tuition.

If you have a question regarding your bill or a financial matter, please contact the registrar at launchlab@explorecml.org

LLIS has a 1:12 student-to-teacher ratio.

LLP lead teachers hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in education and are committed to ongoing professional development.  The team also has over 15 years of combined children's museum experience and more than 25 years of early childhood educational experience.

The curriculum is designed by FrogStreet and provides intentional, age-appropriate instruction that is aligned to both federal and state standards. Its comprehensive, research-based programs integrate instruction across developmental domains and early learning disciplines. Launch Pad Introduction to School’s educators take these learning objectives and tailor them to meet the needs and interests of each class. Uniquely positioned within the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, our educators are specially trained to extend the FrogStreet curriculum through hands-on exploration of the museum’s interactive exhibits, turning every visit to the museum floor into an opportunity for dynamic, inquiry-based learning.

Outdoor play is a critical time of the day for children. In addition to music and movement activities indoors, as weather permits, each class will spend up to an hour in the morning during the regular day outdoors.

Occasionally, educators may use educational videos or digital apps that are aligned with lessons. Otherwise, screen time is not used at the program, except on occasions of persistent and ongoing bad weather.

Educators are trained in the technique of Conscious Discipline to manage behavior. Children are encouraged to talk through their inappropriate behaviors with adult guidance and prompting. If children are unable to manage themselves during an activity or classroom center, teachers may remove them from that area and provide them with something else to do.   

Discipline is individualized and consistent for each child, appropriate to the child’s level of understanding, and directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control. Educators may only use positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourage self-esteem, self-control, and self-direction.  

Positive discipline and guidance techniques utilized may include recognizing appropriate behavior instead of focusing on unacceptable behavior, reminding the child of behavior expectations by using clear, positive statements, redirecting behavior using positive statements, and using brief supervised separation from the group, when appropriate for the child’s age and development. Matters of discipline are ordinarily dealt with by the teacher and will be done in a close cooperative effort with the caregivers.  

Caregivers are responsible for sending a nutritious, nut-free snack and a reusable water container each day.