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The event, held Sept. 29 in Joni Jacobson's Child Growth and Development class, featured seven infants ranging from newborn to 12 months old. Students observed developmental milestones and interactions between the babies and their parents throughout the session.

Jacobson, a childhood education instructor at ATCC, has organized Baby Lab events since 2011, hosting at least 18 sessions that have brought approximately 125 infants and their parents to campus.

The babies participating in Baby Lab are typically children of Early Childhood Education program alumni or have connections to ATCC. Some alumni have traveled from South Dakota, Wisconsin and North Dakota to participate with their infants.

This year's event included students from Fergus Falls Public Schools' child development program, continuing ATCC's tradition of inviting other educational institutions to attend.

Past Baby Lab sessions have drawn diverse audiences, including 85 students and staff from Alexandria Area High School, nursing students, participants from Scrubs Camp and various ATCC faculty and staff. Scrubs Camp is an annual program at ATCC that introduces high school students to health-related careers, including early childhood education.

The program has created lasting connections — the first babies who participated in 2011 are now 15 to 16 years old.

Baby Lab provides students direct exposure to infant development stages, offering observations they typically only encounter in textbooks. The event allows future educators and healthcare professionals to witness developmental progressions including motor skills, social interactions and cognitive growth across the first year of life.