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ECDC has always believed that each child should be treated as an individual and has the opportunity to develop at his or her own pace with our low teacher/child ratios. The classroom environment promotes our philosophy that children learn through play with many independent choices available through the day. We have many self-directed activities as well as large and small group activities. We believe that the process of learning is more important than the product. Children are encouraged and supported by our trained staff as they play and learn. Having our graduates well prepared for kindergarten is an important goal at ECDC. goals and objectives our classes are child centered with activities designed to meet each child’s developmental needs. The goal of ecdc is to foster social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth in a nurturing and secure environment. Our program has three different cornerstones: • learn through play: we believe that all preschool children learn best through play. Each child is treated as an individual and has the opportunity to develop at his or her own pace. Our classroom environment reflects this philosophy with many independent choices available through the day. At ecdc, the process of learning is more important than the product. • parent involvement: the most effective education results from a partnership between parents and teachers. For this reason, ecdc was established in 1977 in sherborn as a parent cooperative. Parents spend time in the classroom interacting with their child and the teachers. The minimum time requirement is quite modest, between 4 and 7 times per year in the classroom as your child’s “guest. ” there are additional opportunities for parents who are interested, and additional involvement is welcomed. • qualified and committed staff: qualified, committed, caring and enthusiastic teachers are the cornerstone of an effective early education program. A certified early childhood educator directs ecdc, and all of our teachers have or are working toward early childhood certification. We support continuing early childhood education for our teachers.

The Madison Cooperative Nursery School (the Co-op) is an educational nursery school founded in June of 1959 by a small collective of mothers who sought to provide a cooperative educational and social preschool experience for their children. Our school remains true to its founding values today, offering parents an opportunity to be actively involved in their child(ren)'s first educational experience. The Co-op is a State-licensed nursery school in Madison, New Jersey offering two, three, and four-day classes for 2 , 3, and 4-year old children. Each class is staffed by two paid qualified teachers and one parent volunteer. The objective of our school is to provide a stimulating and enjoyable educational environment for our students. The uniqueness and individuality of every child is recognized. Emphasis is placed on providing a secure, creative and caring atmosphere in which to guide them toward positive social interactions, emotional maturity, the ability to accept limits and tolerance and acceptance of others. The staff and parents are dedicated to helping each child reach his or her full potential - intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically. A cooperative program is unique since both parents and teachers play an integral role in the education process. Parents participate on a rotating basis enabling them to observe and share in our learning activities and social situations. Parent involvement on the Board of Directors and various committees makes for a true school community.

Noe Valley Nursery School, a cooperative preschool, was started in 1969 by a group of San Francisco parents in the Noe valley neighborhood. We continue to be a community of parents interested in taking part in our children's preschool experience. All families share in the planning and operation of the school. Our parents staff the school under the direct guidance of a qualified master's-level preschool teacher. Our school is a proud and active member of the California council of parent participation nursery schools, which has also been serving San Francisco families since 1969. At NVNS, we welcome all ethnicities, religions, orientations, abilities, and backgrounds. We are one inclusive community, and we celebrate our differences.

Potomac Crescent Waldorf school is devoted to educating children according Rudolf Steiner's insights and pedagogy. We educate the whole child: head, heart, and hands. The individual child is at the center of all we do. In the pre-school we prepare the child for schoolwork by encouraging healthy play. In the grade school, our teachers aim to allow each child to grow gradually and naturally into the subjects they study, because then they will love what they learn. Committed to serve and reflect our locality of Northern Virginia near the District of Columbia, the faculty work together as colleagues to allow the Waldorf approach to provide each child with a future-oriented education, in which lasting capacities and skills will serve the student for life.

The Belair Cooperative Nursery School, established in 1962, is one of the oldest preschools in the City of Bowie. The school is a non-profit, non-sectarian, and non-partisan organization. It has been accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education since 1970. The Belair Cooperative Nursery School rents classroom space from the Christian Community Presbyterian Church on Belair Drive in Bowie. Our purpose is to provide children with a group experience that extends the values of family life by fostering a sense of community involvement. It is the philosophy of the school to encourage student awareness of and participation in one’s natural, social, and cultural environment. The school attempts to provide a program which is appropriate to the child’s stage of development and which is satisfying to him or her. The school introduces the students to music appreciation as well as Spanish. We strive to recognize the unique characteristics and abilities of each child and to cultivate in each a love of learning and a consideration of others. Parental involvement is an essential part of a cooperative school. The parents form the Board of Directors and govern the entire program. They hire the teachers, assist in planning the educational program, and participate in the classroom on a rotating basis as teacher’s aides.

Our vision is an environment where parents and staff work together to ensure every child has the opportunity to fulfill his or her potential to the highest degree, following the inspired work of Maria Montessori. Mission To offer every child the possibility of a Montessori education, regardless of the parents' financial position, because Dr. Montessori believed in the potential within every child To provide diversity to such a degree that every child will assume the world is full of people in every color, with many languages, with many beliefs because Dr. Montessori believed that peace and tolerance can only begin with the children To find staff members who truly believe in the special creative power within every child and are determined to find the one work that will open the door to unleash that power because Dr. Montessori saw that work, when correctly motivated, heals the soul To provide multiple and regular opportunities for parents to learn how best to contribute to their child's inner growth because Dr. Montessori believed that adults, if unaware, could impede the child's natural development To create the most beautiful, fully-integrated Montessori environment, inside and out, in the Phoenix area because Dr. Montessori was very clear on how the meticulous care of the environment spoke to the child