The Acorn School for Early Childhood Development is raising funds to support our Family Financial Assistance Program which provides support for 20 to 30 low income children each year. The children who receive reduced fee services are able to access high quality, affordable early education.
Below is our philosophy on Care and Learning.
Care Philosophy
Respect for each individual child
Strive for Continuity of Care
Provide an atmosphere of care and routine that children can predict and trust
Nurturing the whole child - emotionally, physically, cognitively
Staff will be well versed in supporting the needs of children within the age range of their classroom - age appropriate expectations
Provide responsive caregiving to all children
Building invested relationships between all children, families, and staff
Learning Philosophy
We understand that parents are a child's first and best teacher. Our role is to assist parents in this critical work.
Providing an environment where children are actively guided through Social and Emotional skill development
Children are competent and capable and have the right to construct their own knowledge based on their interests, strengths, curiosities, and developing skills
Teachers respect children's processes of learning and provide positive direction, guidance and support when needed - supported by Creative Curriculum
Provide intentionally planned small group work and dynamic learning environments
That our whole community embraces collaborative learning (children, staff, families)
Use reflective practices to review and improve programs on an ongoing basis
The roles of teachers are clearly defined to provide clarity of expectations between staff and families for the sake of accountability
Routines and rituals are embedded into the daily life of classrooms so children are able to anticipate what their time at school will look like
Teachers are actively engaged in current research to enhance the quality of care we provide - Teachers are expected to develop their expertise and skill set for working with ages of children for which they are most passionate
Teachers/Staff use observation, documentation, and reflective practice in inform their curriculum planning and developmentally appropriate learning experiences - supported by TS Gold
Shared Care and Learning Philosophy within the Acorn Community to provide for consistent language, classroom environments, and support for all children
My daughters were so positively impacted by their early learning experiences at The Acorn School, they remind me, twelve years later, why I am still passionate about all children having the same opportunity.
"I am an Acorn parent because I like the family/community feel."
"This is a wonderful place with wonderful teachers who do an amazing job of caring and educating children."
The mission of the Acorn School for Early Childhood Development is to provide high quality, accessible, early childhood education programming to children and the community.
Acorn's full-day, year-round, high-quality early childhood education (ECE) program serves children aged six weeks to six years. Acorn also advocates for higher standards in the field of early childhood through our work with other key stakeholders in the early childhood community, specifically the Boulder County Early Childhood Task Force and the Early Childhood Council of Boulder County (ECCBC). We view the personal development and education of the infants, toddlers, and preschoolers we serve as a profound stewardship that deserves the greatest resources, the best talent and the most nurturing attention possible. This opportunity must be made available to all children, regardless of socioeconomic status. To work and achieve self-sufficiency, families must have access to safe, reliable, affordable, and convenient childcare that is available during the hours when they need it.
The Acorn School was founded in 1994 by an experienced early childhood educator who became alarmed by what the Carnegie Corporation called America's "quiet crisis" -as more parents of young children entered the workforce, more of children were largely being raised by an ongoing succession of inadequately trained and underpaid caregivers. To help address this concern, what is now known as The Acorn School first opened its doors in 1994 in a working class Boulder neighborhood. The current school incorporates all of the best practices recommended by the original Carnegie report: low teacher-child ratios, small group sizes, qualified and well-trained caregivers, health/safety as a priority, and strong linkages to parents and the community. Key accomplishments. We are an accredited site with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org), the largest and most widely recognized early childhood accreditation system, and the Donnell-Kay Foundation selected us as a case study because of our success in combining high-quality education with accessibility for at-risk families. All of our Lead Teachers meet or exceed Colorado's recently enhanced ECE certification requirements. And, in a field known for its high staff turnover rates, we are consistently able to retain nearly all of our staff.
On August 20, 2012, The Acorn School moved into the new Wilderness Early Learning Center. WELC serves as a model project incorporating best practices and unique collaborations to benefit young children and their families. Additionally, in response to the critical shortage of infant and toddler care in Boulder County, The Acorn School is currently in the process of raising funds to expand services.
Organization name
The Acorn School for Early Childhood Development
1994
Tax id (EIN)
84-1150507
Category
Education
Organization Size
Large Organization
Colorado State Tax Credits
Colorado Child Care Credit
Address
2845 Wilderness PlaceBoulder County, CO, US