The mission of The Co-op School is to inspire passion and teach children to become protagonists in their own educational journey by fostering their innate sense of curiosity and creativity. The Co-op School facilitates joyful learning through a unique and rigorous constructivist approach that listens to and honors the individual interests and strengths of each child. The Co-op School doesn’t just belong to the students and educators, but extends to the family community as a whole. It belongs to those who participate in it, and is a more resilient and creative place because of it.
The Co-op School uses a constructivist approach, meaning that each student’s individual experience makes learning unique to them. We value and nurture different needs and interpretations, and base our curriculum on five core beliefs:
- Joy is essential: Through joyful learning, students become life-long learners and creative thinkers
- Creativity requires passion: students need to feel enthusiasm to tap into their talent.
- Context matters: When learning is embedded in meaningful contexts, students are invested in finding answers.
- The Whole Child Learns: Our students are supported emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually.
- We work in Community: Students think individually and work collaboratively, learning to share ideas respectfully.
We, The Co-op School, believe in the following Core Values:
- Compassion: We value and nurture the strength of character it takes to work together as a team, to be an individual, to respect differences of opinions, and have the ability to empathize with others.
- Uniqueness: We value and nurture the confidence that leads to risk-taking, problem-solving, and taking pride in one’s own point of view.
- Community Action: We value and nurture an overall awareness, respect, and care for our surroundings, community, and environment.
- Anti-Racism: We value and nurture the courage and heart it requires to be anti-racist in our speech and actions, and exemplify this through the conversations we have and the work we do in and out of our classrooms.
- Innovation: We value and nurture curiosity, imagination, creativity, experimentation, and perseverance when faced with challenges.
- Joy: We value and nurture the simple joy of playing, learning, and friendship making.
At The Co-op School, we believe each child brings something unique and special into the world. By establishing a respectful and caring bond with the student and the family, we create a strong foundation for a wonderful early childhood experience. Through active exploration of the world around them, play, interaction with others, memorable experiences, and hands-on learning activities, our students’ development and growth occur every second of every day. Our mission is to provide a safe, nurturing, exciting, quality learning environment for our students. Our love for children is the reason The Co-op School was founded and the reason we remain open to this day. Committed to the families we serve, your child will be cared for by the most loving, knowledgeable, and thoughtful teachers every day. deserve to participate in experiences that will change their lives forever, and The Co-op School promises to provide the environment to make this come true!
The Co-op School seeks to create a fully inclusive community. We celebrate students, families, and teachers who represent the diversity of Brooklyn and beyond, as it relates to race, ethnicity, gender, family structure, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, learning style, and physical ability. We encourage members to freely share their whole selves, and we intentionally honor and recognize our differences and commonalities.
The Co-op School is committed to a responsive anti-bias curriculum that is supported by ongoing teacher development and is continually reevaluated. This work, with young children, is as much about precluding the formation of biases as it is about disproving their myths. Our critical explorations differ based upon a student’s maturity, evolve with their growing awareness, and conversations and activities are adapted accordingly. Ultimately, our social justice work extends beyond the classroom, leading to broader examinations of equity, and inspiring students to become change-makers.