The Louisville Preschool, Inc.

Background Statement

The Louisville Preschool was founded in July of 1993 by Jan Ferrari and Kathy Krajewski. Our mission was to provide eastern Boulder County with a small, high-quality part-day program that would support children, their learning, and their families.

The school participated in Dr. Mary Culkin's Art of Teaching Project from 1997-99, which provided support to improve the quality of centers by focusing on the director's skills.

Beginning in 1999 we became a community site for both the Child Find and Colorado Preschool Programs through BVSD. As part of our involvement with CPP our preschool was selected to participate in the Child Development Program of the Mental Health Center of Boulder County in 2000. During the 2000-2001 school year we focused on understanding and facilitating empathy skills in children, coaching young children in the area of conflict resolution, and working with families to assist them in finding services specific to their needs. The program was expanded to include weekly visits from a consultant, enabling our staff to address issues in a timely manner and continued until June 2003.

Between March 2002 and May 2010 two of our current teachers participated in the Child Health Liaison Program. This is an advocate training program sponsored by the Boulder County Health Department designed to assess and improve the overall health and safety of the child care environment. In 2003 we partnered with the Environmental Health Program to improve air quality in the classroom with the help of the PACE program (Partners for a Clean Environment). Our goal in both endeavors was to have a positive impact on the health of our children and staff.

In 2005 we were chosen to participate in an early childhood quality improvement program through Boulder County. This included an extensive look at current practices and evaluation by Qualistar using the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS) tool. We are currently a three-star rated facility (four being the top score). We have worked on areas as suggested by this body of work with an emphasis on family partnership and parent education. In addition, we have focused on enriching our outdoor space by increasing the playground area and making it more easily accessible to all.

During the 2008-09 school year we were selected to receive services provided by the Boulder Mental Health Center through their Kid Connects program, which provided child development consultation, health screenings, and linkage to resources for children, parents, and staff. We were also the recipients of two grants, one from the Boettcher Foundation Early Learning Capital Fund and the second from Sun Safe Colorado. The first was used for further expansion of our outdoor experiences with a Science and Discovery Area and the second for increased sun protection on the playground via overhead "sails" and a gazebo.

In 2014, The Louisville Preschool was the first in Boulder County to become certified by Boulder County Health Department's Healthy Eating, Active Living 5210 Program. This program establishes our school as one that uses strategies to support policies, practices, and environments that promote healthy lifestyles. During that same school year, we received a grant specific to health and safety improvements to replace our playground fence, widen bathroom and classroom doorways, and install a dishwasher and new kitchen sink.

Now in our twenty-fifth year, Louisville Preschool has become a recognized downtown establishment with a secure future and shared vision to continue our focus on quality early education.