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Nature Preschool

Imagine spending 50% or more of your day exploring, playing and learning outside. Students attending the FULL-TIME Ijams Nature Preschool do just that. It makes you want to be a kid again!

Ijams Nature Preschool

  • Exploratory Play and Learning for Kids 3-5*

  • Low Child-to-Teacher Ratio

  • Outside Play Every Day (At Least 50% Each Day)!

  • Social, Emotional, and Academic Kindergarten Preparedness

  • DHS Licensed Child Care Facility

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MISSION

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The Ijams Nature Preschool is an experiential, nature-based preschool for children ages 3-5* that combines:

 

  1. An outdoor classroom where students are given an opportunity to explore the natural world and learn environmental stewardship, and

  2. An indoor classroom where they are guided through traditional and child-centered academic lessons.

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Through this unique combination of experiences, the Nature Preschool at Ijams Nature Center nurtures students’ social, emotional, and intellectual development, and helps them learn valuable lessons about themselves and their world. 

 

Students must be 3 years old and fully potty-trained by their first day of school.

 

Spots fill quickly! Apply here.  Please contact Early Learning Programs Manager Leigh Feld with questions or for more information at +1865-577-4717 ext. 1018 or preschool@ijams.org.

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Looking for part-time care?
Check out the
Ijams Nature Play Club

TUITION RATES & POLICIES


Tuition is $10,100 for the school year. This constitutes a 40-week school year, and is billed monthly. Hours are 9 am-3:30 pm Monday-Friday. Upon acceptance, a $1,010 payment is required to secure a child’s place in the Ijams Nature Preschool. The deposit is nonrefundable and nontransferable, and will be applied to tuition payment schedule.

 

Tuition is billed monthly on the following schedule:


Initial Deposit     $1010
August               $909

September         $909
October             $909

November         $909

December         $909
January             $909

February           $909
March                $909

April                   $909

May                   $909


TOTAL               $10,100

 

The Ijams Nature Preschool does not charge additional registration or activity fees; tuition is all-inclusive. 

AFTERCARE

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The Ijams Nature Preschool aftercare program is offered from 3:30-5:30 pm Monday-Friday for families who need extended hours. The cost is $20/hour or $4,200/year (Annual plan is a discount of $2,800).

“A lot of my friends find interest in the type of preschool Patrick is attending. He turned 5 in January and he has learned so much. He knows all the seasons of the year in order, the days of the week, months of the year, identifying continents on a world map, animal prints, and a plethora of other things in only two months of full-time nature play. Wild right? It’s child led, too, which is wonderful for their self-esteem.” -- Mom of an Ijams Nature Preschool Student

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