private institution covering 5 acres (2 hectares) in Boston, Mass. Its history traces back to a one-year training course for kindergarten teachers offered by Lucy Wheelock in 1888, when kindergartens were introduced to Boston. She went on to establish Wheelock Kindergarten Training School, which became Wheelock College in 1941. The college prepares students to work with children in a variety of settings. Graduates pursue careers as teachers, social workers, and child life specialists. Hands-on experience with children and their families begins during the freshmen year and continues through all years of study. The college's Resource Center has an array of materials for students to use in creating their own curriculum tools. More than 80 percent of Wheelock's full-time faculty hold doctorates.