Children’s Co-Op Preschool is a nonprofit, parent co-operative school that is affiliated with Whatcom Community College (WCC) for children ages two and a half to five years. It is one of four co-operative preschools under the larger umbrella of WCC. Our preschool has been running for more than forty years, and some of our first students have now returned as parents!
At Children’s Co-Op, the parents serve as administrators and staff of the school. Our teachers plan the curriculum and guide the parents working in the classroom. A facilitator is provided by Whatcom Community College who offers professional support for the teachers and families, trains new board members, and leads the parent education program.
Our curriculum is developmentally appropriate to support young children’s learning. Based on seasonal themes where children actively explore our different learning centers, the children learn by doing. Through active involvement with their environment, children learn to make sense of the world around them. Our role is to create a community within our classroom that invites children to observe, to be active, to make choices, and to experiment.
Being in a Co-Op means:
Working in your child’s classroom (approximately once a month depending on the child’s age and the size of the class)
Attending the parent education meeting once a month
Performing a parent job (board positions, fundraiser, newsletter, etc.)
Participating in fundraising
Building lifelong friendships for you and your child
Our mission at Children’s Co-Op Preschool (CCP) is to provide a safe, nurturing, and rich learning environment for both parents and children to build confidence and a solid foundation as their first school experience.
We believe that young children learn best through hands-on, open-ended, and creative play. We nurture and respect the whole child. Therefore, our classroom environment is thoughtfully created to encourage and support each child’s unique social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development.
Children’s Co-op Preschool does not discriminate and warmly welcomes students and families of any race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, national origin, or sexual orientation. We are a non-profit and equal opportunity organization that is affiliated with Whatcom Community College parent education.
