Park West Cooperative Nursery School

Founded in 1971 by parents who wanted to be involved in their children’s education, Park West has a strong tradition of community and a commitment to helping each child grow as an individual and as a member of a group.

Park West’s mission is to respect children as growing individuals, provide support and varied opportunities to further their thinking, and help them develop a love of learning. We want to meet each child, and each family, where they are, and to foster a community within which optimal growth and learning can take place. For most children, starting preschool is their first interaction with a larger group of non-family members. As a member of Park West Cooperative Nursery School, parents have the unique opportunity to be an integral part of their child’s development outside of the home.

Informed by the developmental theories of Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey, among others, our preschool curriculum supports children’s thinking. Our play-based curriculum is designed to encourage children to learn within a context of meaning and to construct their own knowledge. We infuse the environment and activities with opportunities for children to further their understanding of literacy, numbers, arts and science in ways that make sense to them and are developmentally appropriate. Our broad goals are to encourage autonomous, self-reliant thinking and decision-making and to encourage children to de-center and expand their world-view by incorporating the ideas of other people in their decision-making. We encourage children to attempt to balance their individual needs with the needs of others and with the group as a whole.