Historically, ‘status quo’ early childhood programs have been geared towards the employment-focused academic skill set of public schools, excluding the kind of education which can assist children in recognizing and comprehending the world around them.
Our philosophy is that a healthy and sustainable early childhood curriculum should create the container for children to both acquire and practice thinking skills, communication skills, and tools for emotional regulation. It should nurture children’s innate sense of caring for, and about, nature and all its inhabitants, while supporting and modeling choices and decisions that are grounded in both an Earth and human-centered ethic that celebrates diversity and does not exploit or exclude.
Small class sizes create a container in which teachers and students can develop strong bonds and children are able to have more hands-on learning and a higher quality experience. Origins has more teachers per student than typical schools and more than the state required ratios.
Organic food is grown and served at Origins because we understand that quality nutrition is an essential building block in a young child’s development, both physically and mentally. Food and nutrition have an essential role in children’s achievement at all stages of education. At Origins, we will not only feed your child well, but we educate them about the importance of making healthy food choices and how by growing our own food and sourcing locally/regionally we are creating a more sustainable planet. We serve mainly organic foods and believe in the farm to table ideal. We participate in community gardens, utilize the farmers markets in season, as well as cultivating our own garden and we do the majority of our shopping at locally owned grocery stores, making a point to purchase as much local meats and produce as possible. We serve eggs that come from cage-free chickens, meats that are grass-fed, free-range, hormone and antibiotic free and non-gmo produce grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, students will deep dive into global biomes and learn about these regions in their entirety. Students will learn about the people, and the flora and fauna that exist in that biome. They will learn about water cycles, weather patterns, soil types, and effects of climate change and global warming. Students will explore these topics thorough the lenses of every learning domain and subject, all the while weaving in eco-literacy and mindfulness.
At Origins, we believe that children of the 21st Century deserve an education where they can nurture a sense of belonging to and caring for the Earth and all of its inhabitants. In order to provide such education, we must engage in a kind of teaching that invites a personal shift in consciousness and fosters innovation, imagination, and most importantly, avenues for us to rediscover our indisputable connection with the body of our beloved Earth.
Our lesson plans are designed based on 3 essential understandings:
That the Earth is a living body of interconnected patterns of relationships
That by knowing nature’s ways we can learn more about who we are and how we are part of nature
That mindfulness is a way for us to know ourselves and experience our belonging to the Earth
Origins Curriculum provides preschool classrooms as well as home educators and their students K-12 with the skills, strategies, and knowledge to successfully follow their interests and passions.
Through our Conscious Curriculum, a child will develop a connection to, and understanding of their place in the global eco-system, and grow critical-thinking skills toward solving real world problems. They will gain mindful emotional recognition and regulation skills while growing confidence in their identity, meaning, and purpose, in addition to obtaining and solidifying the full range of academic skill sets.
A new paradigm in education is rising as more and more educators embrace the existential questions of our time and begin to value nature as a primary origin upon which to build our human identity regardless of our diverse belief systems.
[1] We prioritize eco-literacy that is facilitated by:
The opportunity to participate in varied learning experiences integrating many knowledge areas.
The opportunity for unstructured time – time “to be” and to contemplate, in a natural setting.
The opportunity to observe changes in an environment over time.
The opportunity to play a valued part in real life activities (e.g. gardening, cooking, building, caring for animals, producing art).
The opportunity to develop collaborative, investigative and critical thinking skills.
Exposure to multiple languages and cultures.
Encouragement of a sense of wonder about the natural world.
Multiple learning experiences that focus on sustainability and the beginning development of eco-consciousness.
Exposure to biomimicry, a rich framework for teaching that can be used to address a wide range of topics and environmental literacy – all with a hopeful message that encourages students to be positive agents for change in the world.*
It is this combination of our high quality kindergarten-readiness, combined with our eco-conscious approach that makes Origins Preschool truly unique.
We created Origins to provide warm and beautiful environment for growth, organic food with a focus on quality nutrition, nature-based eco-literacy, mindfulness, small class sizes, excellent teachers and a top-notch curriculum.
With these principles in mind, we are embarking a new paradigm of early childhood education, to not only give children a basic academic foundation for entering grade school, but to support the philosophies and ideals that will create a generation of emotionally healthy people who value the wise use of resources, cultural diversity, gender equality and a sense of democracy.
[1]Kolan, Padmaja & Madhumathi, Prof. (2018). Ecoliteracy- Role of Early childhood Education.
*Biomimicry Institute