Cooperative Preschool

Our Philosophy 

At the Rhode Island College Cooperative Preschool, which is owned, funded and operated by Student Community Government, we believe that a child's preschool experience should be the foundation of a lifetime of learning through age-appropriate experiences. Our preschool welcomes all children regardless of race, language, gender, culture, or abilities. The Cooperative Preschool offers a safe, nurturing, and interactive environment in order to maximize the potential and individuality of every child. Children learn by understanding the world around them and their relationship to it.

Curriculum 

The Co-Op curriculum recognizes that play is the principle through which children attain developmentally appropriate goals in all the Rhode Island Early Learning Standard domains.

The program offers a well-structured curriculum which is aligned to the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards. The curriculum offers a variety of projects and activities aimed at the enhancement of social, cognitive, and motor skills. These activities support and reflect on the importance of the additional three components of a quality curriculum: focusing on how children learn, the environment in which they learn best, and the importance of teaching and facilitating to support children's individual learning styles. The teachers and staff are committed to support all children's individual development and growth.

At the Cooperative Preschool we strive to instill these very important skills in all children:

• Recognize that all children have varying degrees of development levels, unique learning styles and interests
• Approach learning with an attitude of active involvement
• Build a positive self-image
• Make good choices
• Recognize and appreciate diverse cultures 
• Work well with others
• Support special needs within an inclusive setting

Collaboration 

Parents and the Rhode Island College community play an integral part of the program. Our program understands the uniqueness that each family brings to our center, and we strive to involve parents and support them in their child's growth and development through program-level decision-making. The Co-Op strongly values collaboration between parents and staff while striving to build a community based team through mutual respect, trust, and understanding of each individual family.