Early Education Cooperative Preschool

Early Education Cooperative Preschool includes activities such as play dates, Fall Fest, an Auction, Sing and Feast, and sharing a Play Dough Recipe with families. Most days, children have between 1 hour to 1.5 hours or more of outside play time in areas such as courtyards, a sand yard, or a trike yard.

• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Most days include between 1 hour to 1.5 hours or more of outside play time.
• Price: Maximum discounts are 50% of tuition and fees. Tuition discounts are for the morning preschool programs only. Reduced rates are not provided for Registration Fees, Deposits, Early Birds, Lunch Bunch or Stay & Play.

Since 1961, Early Education Cooperative Preschool has operated as a parent cooperative preschool where parents are actively engaged in classroom activities, with specific expectations to participate in at least two of three community work days, serve on one parent committee, and join community events such as play dates, Fall Fest, Auction, and Sing and Feast. The program follows a cooperative model with high expectations for parent involvement and is described as an intimate, family-oriented, play-based preschool utilizing a Reggio Emilia curriculum. The mission of Early Education Cooperative Preschool is: “Through a commitment to play-based education and the cooperative model, EEC develops the whole child, supports the growth of parents, and creates meaningful connections within an inclusive community.”

Professional faculty members are highly qualified early childhood educators with extensive training and experience. Lead Teachers have a degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field and have a combination of training and experience, and teacher assistants have a Child Development Associate Degree or similar credential or have experience in an early childhood setting. Parents who regularly volunteer in the classroom must be TB tested and fingerprinted, and the school requires a copy of each child’s vaccine records and a fingerprint clearance card for each parent who will be volunteering.

The preschool includes courtyards, a sand yard, and a trike yard, and every class has multiple opportunities per day to be outside in these spaces, in rain or shine, with sun safety practices. There is a licensed diaper changing room and two child-sized restrooms located in the Desert Doves, Hummingbirds, or Quail classroom. Children do not need to be potty trained in the Desert Doves, Hummingbirds, or Quail classes, and students enrolled in the pre-k class need to be potty trained.

Scholarships are offered in the form of tuition reduction or discount, and all families must contribute financially, with a maximum tuition discount of 50% of tuition and fees that applies only to morning preschool programs. One parent describes Early Education Cooperative Preschool as “an amazing, nurturing, play-based preschool” and notes relying on teachers’ knowledge of early childhood development and valuing the community of families, play dates, and early childhood educators.

Last updated January 10, 2026.