Our Story

Anchorage Cooperative Preschool has in its past ideals that are its future. Following is a list of the Guiding Principles that many of our members collaborated on and established.  Take a look at these ideals and see if they resonate for you. If so, you are in the right place. We want you to help us emulate these guiding principles which are at our base, throughout our core and thus drive our decisions and actions.

• we welcome diversity and embrace the individual

• we enrich families’ lives, both in and out of the classroom

• our program is:

  • child-centered & age-appropriate

  • multi-sensory

  • play-based

  • emergent

  • nature-based

  • multi-cultural

• we support skills for lifelong learning

• we create a love for learning by embracing curiosity, creativity & flexibility

• we share responsibilities for educating children

• we create a family-centered, hands-on community where choices are nurtured and mistakes are supported and learned from

• we provide a safe and trusting place where naturally capable teachers, families and children are empowered to be curious and explore their potential

• we create an environment where positive self-image is fostered through recognition of feelings, kind and gentle actions and intuitiveness

• we provide a large community gathering space

• we believe in environmentally conscious, sustainable practices

• we support the opportunity to build close, supportive relationships

• we share resources, skills, experiences, knowledge and responsibilities

• we honor ethical, transparent, responsible business behaviors

• we support growth and change

• we believe children thrive through outdoor time in a natural environment

• we support healthy and safe practices for mind, body and environment