Green Curriculum

Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool’s Green Committee is made up of a group of parents who work in all aspects of the school to facilitate a healthy, environmentally responsible space. Curriculum building is an integral component to the work we do. We use nature- based curriculum as our core and a constructivist philosophy that reflects our shared green ethos. What exactly does that mean? It means that our parents and teachers believe that small children learn through play and that they construct an understanding of the world and themselves through bits of information that hold personal meaning. Children are naturally curious and gather information from experiences with community and with the natural world and its materials. Teachers and parents can facilitate classroom learning by inspiring that unfettered curiosity, helping students find connections to things and ideas that they are interested in. Ideally, our classroom teachers and parents work together as part of a reciprocal learning strategy.

Fostering a respect for the environment and the world around us

While many private and public kindergarten classes are beginning to introduce environmental awareness into their curriculum, few start earlier; preschoolers are not commonly thought of as an easy age group to start teaching the importance of taking care of their planet. But Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool’s parents and teachers aim to do just that, by introducing environmental education to young children in a way that engages them, intrigues them, and creates an empathy and respect for all living things and their habitats. We hope to provide even our youngest children not only with a gentle awareness of their impact on the world around them, but also an understanding of how they can make a positive difference. To accomplish this, we work constantly with parents and teachers to expand and improve our green curriculum and strengthen the underpinnings of our school’s core mission and values.