About
Room to Grow is an emergent curricula program where children and adults engage in hands-on involvement and in-depth exploration of the world around them. The program is nature-focused and play-based, with indoor and outdoor classrooms described as the “3rd teacher.” It is a parent-participation preschool that is inspired by exemplary early childhood programs such as the Children’s Schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, and places strong emphasis on the development of positive social skills and play-based learning as its core philosophy.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
Room to Grow’s mission states that it provides children and adults with the space, time, and opportunities to grow and learn, and that parents learn about child development and early learning while fostering their relationship with their child. The program is based on accepted theories of child development and early learning, respects and supports children’s need and right to play as a critical way of exploring their world and gaining knowledge, and maintains a strong connection to nature that promotes cognitive, physical, and social-emotional skills and abilities.
Room to Grow was originally established in the 1960s as St. Bartholomew’s Nursery School, and the original Room to Grow closed in 1989. In 2007, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church again offered its classrooms and grounds as a site for an early childhood program, and over a five-month period the founders worked to renovate and equip the facility. In October of 2007, Room to Grow welcomed its first children. The founders and partners are Karen Nattrass, Debbie Vigil, and Debbie Lignell, MFT.
Staff credentials include co-founder Karen Nattrass, who holds a master’s degree in Human Ecology, and teacher Gwen Anaya, who is certified from Las Positas College as an associate preschool teacher and has been a childcare provider for over 12 years. Room to Grow has also reached out to the community by collaborating with a local nonprofit agency, CAPE, Inc, to provide opportunities for quality preschool to underprivileged families throughout the Head Start program.
Last updated April 23, 2026.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
Room to Grow’s mission states that it provides children and adults with the space, time, and opportunities to grow and learn, and that parents learn about child development and early learning while fostering their relationship with their child. The program is based on accepted theories of child development and early learning, respects and supports children’s need and right to play as a critical way of exploring their world and gaining knowledge, and maintains a strong connection to nature that promotes cognitive, physical, and social-emotional skills and abilities.
Room to Grow was originally established in the 1960s as St. Bartholomew’s Nursery School, and the original Room to Grow closed in 1989. In 2007, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church again offered its classrooms and grounds as a site for an early childhood program, and over a five-month period the founders worked to renovate and equip the facility. In October of 2007, Room to Grow welcomed its first children. The founders and partners are Karen Nattrass, Debbie Vigil, and Debbie Lignell, MFT.
Staff credentials include co-founder Karen Nattrass, who holds a master’s degree in Human Ecology, and teacher Gwen Anaya, who is certified from Las Positas College as an associate preschool teacher and has been a childcare provider for over 12 years. Room to Grow has also reached out to the community by collaborating with a local nonprofit agency, CAPE, Inc, to provide opportunities for quality preschool to underprivileged families throughout the Head Start program.
Last updated April 23, 2026.
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