Carol M. Troha
Director
You can't get past the door of CHP without getting to know Carol. She's most parents' first point of contact and she knows well what it's like to be that parent. Her son Mikey was in CHP's two-year-old program in 1992 when the school was called “The Co-op.” She was teaching at the Mary McDowell School for Learning Disabilities at the time.
The next spring, Carol started working part time for CHP, introducing the original art program and working on grants to fund it.
In 1999, Carol completed her M.S. in Early Childhood Education at Hunter College. A year later, Carol and a handful of tireless parents (Jim Kearns and Pam Peterson) undertook the odyssey of finding a new home for CHP. By 2004, our place at 93 Rapelye Street went from a cement box to a preschool palace. Our dream of school ownership became a reality.
Along with her CHP responsibilities, Carol served on a study group that laid the groundwork for the Asperger's Nest at P.S. 32. Because of this experience, she entered a post-masters annotation program at Hunter College in Autism Spectrum Disorders. In the summer of 2004, she completed this program.
In 2011, Carol completed another post master's program, a Children’s Program Administrator Credential (CPAC) for New York State at CUNY’s NYC Early Childhood Professional Development Institute.
In the fall of 2015, Carol returned to graduate work on the other side of the podium: an adjunct lecturer, she taught the CPAC Integration Seminar at the Early Childhood Institute at CUNY's School of Professional Studies. In the spring of 2016, she joined the faculty at Hunter College's Graduate School of Education to teach the Early Childhood Curriculum, Birth to Grade 2.
Carol enjoys her job as school director but views herself as a teacher, first and foremost. Interacting with children and classroom planning are what she enjoys above all. As Carol says herself, "I want children to walk away from the Cobble Hill Playschool feeling good about themselves and their whole school experience. I don't ever want them to feel afraid to ask questions. Children need opportunities to participate in activities where they can actively problem-solve.I am proud to say that I have spent a lot of time with children, they have taught ME a lot about life, and for that I am most grateful."
When Carol has time off, she loves to spend time with her family, read, garden in her pretty backyard, and when she is lucky enough, travel to Europe. Carol was the “House Mother” at the Frances Residency for five years, a homeless shelter for pregnant teenagers and young mothers. She now volunteers at the Carroll Gardens Public Library hosting, “Storytime with Carol and Friends,” a story hour at 10:30AM on Saturday mornings.
What is your favorite journey?
Next to the journey of life, I am lucky to have spent three birthdays in Venice, Italy—my favorite place to journey to.
Where would you like to live?
I cannot imagine living anywhere else but Brooklyn. I live in a place that I love.
Who are your favorite heroes or heroines?
I wish I could have met Mr. Rogers in my lifetime. He was such a gentle spirit, and he understood children in the simplest terms. My mother will always be my hero too.