​1984 - 1990

  • Make a Mess and Make Believe is created as a parent and child arts and crafts class through the Boulder Valley School District Lifelong Learning Program.
  • The program is housed at Washington Elementary School in Boulder.
  • The philosophy underlying Supportive Social Learning is defined.
  • Make a Mess and Make Believe begins its partnership with Boulder Community Hospital with the opening of an Employee Drop In Center.

​1991 - 1994

  • Make a Mess and Make Believe moves to Burke Elementary School, now Horizons K-8 School, in Boulder.
  • Make a Mess and Make Believe begins its partnership with StorageTek with the opening of an Employee Child Care Center.

1995 - 2001

  • Make a Mess and Make Believe builds the school at 1919 Yarmouth Avenue in Boulder.
  • Make a Mess and Make Believe begins to study the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education and hosts the first North American version of the exhibit, "The Hundred Languages of Children" from Reggio Emilia, Italy.
  • A partnership with the University of Colorado Denver and Colorado Department of Education leads to the development of the Boulder Journey School Teacher Education Program.
  • Make a Mess and Make Believe begins a friendship and mentorship with local educators, Frances and David Hawkins.

2002 - 2008

  • The name of the school is changed to Boulder Journey School to more accurately reflect our educational philosophy.
  • Boulder Journey School hosts the opening of "The Wonder of Learning - The Hundred Languages of Children" from Reggio Emilia, Italy, in collaboration with Reggio Children and the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance.

2009 - present

Boulder Journey School