Mighty Oaks Preschool

About

"Where mighty oaks from little acorns grow."

Story

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”-Maria Montessori
Mighty Oaks is a non-profit, Eco-Healthy Certified preschool in Grant Park that offers a play and discovery based curriculum in a warm, nurturing environment. We pull inspiration from a variety of constructivist theorists including Maria Montessori and John Dewey. We believe that children learn best by doing and experiencing life first-hand. At Mighty Oaks we get our hands dirty in the garden, care for chickens, create art, engage in dramatic play, explore, learn, laugh, and grow together. Academic skills are incorporated into our play-based activities to promote kindergarten readiness. Mighty Oaks’ Director, Brittany Smith, is a licensed teacher with over eight years of experience working with young children, as well as a Masters in Teaching Early Childhood and Elementary Education.

“…what most develops a feeling of nature is the cultivation of the living things, because they by their natural development give back far more than they receive, and show something like infinity in their beauty and variety.” - Maria Montessori
Children attending Mighty Oaks will have ample opportunity to explore their natural environment as well. Baba Dioum said, “In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” The more children learn about the delicate eco-system, of which we are all an integral part, the more enthusiastically they will advocate for protecting it for the future. That love of nature should begin locally, right in their own backyards and classrooms. At Mighty Oaks we spend a great deal of time exploring our outdoor environment. We dig in dirt, cultivate gardens, tend to chickens, search for bugs, peer through microscopes, engage in dramatic play, and simply observe the beauty of nature around us. We look forward to the opportunity to nurture the seeds of ecological awareness in our students.

Mission

Our mission is to cultivate a lifelong love of learning amongst our students.

It is the policy and commitment of Mighty Oaks Preschool that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, or religion.