What is a cooperative preschool?

Grant Park Cooperative Preschool is a community of learners comprised of children, parents, and educators. Our school’s identity is framed by a substantive commitment to advocacy for young children’s right to high-quality education and joyful childhood. We foster an atmosphere of mutual respect in an enriched learning environment supported by many forms of parent participation. We believe that the contributions of all members of our learning community enhance each other’s experiences and understanding.

Parent Involvement requirements

We are a cooperative school managed by a volunteer Board of Directors from current and past parents. We invite all families to engage in our school community by volunteering. We recognize that finding time can be challenging for some, so we allow families to pay opt-out fees instead of volunteering.

*Serving on the GPCP Board of Directors exempts you from all of the above requirements with the exception of Snack Helper.

*Serving on the GPCP Board of Directors exempts you from all of the above requirements with the exception of Snack Helper.

Committees

One parent/guardian (representing each family enrolled in the preschool) is required to serve on a committee. The seven committees are: Auction & Fundraising, Pedagogical Support, Building & Grounds, Communications, Technology, Finance, and Personnel. Every effort will be made to give you your first choice, while we also make sure that each committee is adequately staffed.

The amount of time each parent will spend every month on their committee work will vary depending on the committee. However, we anticipate committee work to be approximately three hours per month.