What We Do
Creating a foundation of life-long learning for preschool students in a safe, nurturing and interactive environment of high quality and affordability to our community.
Contact Information
- emailcshields1@ric.edu
- local_phone401-456-8154
- placeCentral Campus
Operating Hours
7:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Our Philosophy
At the Rhode Island College Cooperative Preschool, 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.
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Apply Today!
Parents who are students, faculty or staff of Rhode Island College are eligible to participate. Children must be 3 years of age by September 1st of the fall semester and be fully toilet-trained. Children who are in kindergarten are enrolled half-time. All other children are considered full-time regardless of the number of hours the child attends.
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend you contact Carolyn Shields, Head Teacher, with any additional questions or concerns.
The RIC Cooperative preschool is designed to help parents go back to school and have affordable, quality education for their preschool child (ren).
| Undergraduate | $50 | Per Month/Per Child |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate | $75 | Per Month/Per Child |
| Faculty & Staff | $250 | Per Month/Per Child |
We open at 7:45 a.m., Monday through Friday and close promptly at 5:00 p.m. each day.
YES! We do require all children over the age of 3 entering the Preschool to be fully toilet trained by the start of the year (September 1st).
Parents are required to be involved in the preschool by working a minimum of 4 hours a week which assists in reducing fees for attendance.
Parents often find that our program is a support system for them. The families in this program are all experiencing the same things at this time in their lives, they are juggling school, parenting, families and finding time to study and get schoolwork done. Because this is a cooperative, parents work closely with each other and develop a bond that unites them in a way no other preschool program does.