CONTEXT

Boulder, Colorado, home to 95,000 residents, is nestled at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The mountains provide a beautiful backdrop with opportunities for varied outdoor experiences including hiking, climbing, skiing and camping. With a strong connection to nature, Boulder is a city that is filled with paths, gardens and parks. The downtown area is designed to celebrate aspects of the natural environment, the weather, the rocks and the creek. It is a place where the Pearl Street Mall, along with the Dushanbe Tea House and the Farmer's Market, beckon people from all over the world to gather and exchange experiences. Boulder’s identity emerges from its history. The area was originally populated by the Cheyenne, Arapahoe and Ute tribes and later settled by mountain men, miners, trappers and traders. Residents established the territory’s first schoolhouse in 1860 and lobbied to have the first University of the state built in 1876, creating the culture of the city, rich in academic study and research that is still visible today.

Boulder Journey School, a private preschool located at the north entrance of the city, welcomes over 200 children and their families from Boulder and its surrounding areas. Our environment is designed to support connections between the school and the community. The physical space consists of classrooms, a studio and a theater that are filled with collections of natural materials gathered by families and faculty. The setting includes a garden of indigenous plants, a water flume that mirrors the Boulder Creek, a rock climbing wall and flagstone pathways through outdoor learning spaces.

Our school is a gathering place for children, families, members of the community and educators from around the world. Over the years, we have established local professional relationships with the Colorado Department of Education, the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Amgen, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Sun Microsystems and Amgen, Inc.

The city presents a vital resource, providing opportunities for collaboration as well as exploration and study. The children are engaged in ongoing research, inspired by the world in which they live, as citizens of the Boulder community. In this way, the Boulder Journey School culture is both a recipient of and a contributor to the culture of the city in which it resides.