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We're looking for rare individuals. Teachers with degrees in early childhood or environmental education and a fire in the belly to make a difference. Administrators with a head for business and a heart for helping children reach their full potential. People who are so invested that they'll stay with us for years, growing and developing our educational community. Is that you?
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When developing The Grove School curriculum, we considered the opinions and research of multiple foundational groups within the early childhood industry. Below are examples of such groups:

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE)
International Reading Association (IRA)
National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

These groups have developed position statements related to important early childhood education practice, policy, and professional development. If you have an interest in reading more about the thinking that informs our curriculum, I encourage you to download these PDFs.

NAEYC position statements

Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Technology and Young Children (Ages 3-8)
Learning to Read and Write (with the IRA)
A Summary of References to Play (in all position papers)
Early Childhood Mathematics (with the NCTM)
School Readiness

Joint position statements by NAEYC and NAECS/SDE

Early Learning Standards
Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation

Other helpful articles

Reading Aloud with Children
The Essentials of Early Literary Instruction
Mathematics in the Preschool

Megan directs our program development team and oversees educational curriculum for the company. Formerly she taught 3rd grade in the CA Public Schools for 5 years and worked as a producer for 5 years at Leapfrog developing interactive toys for 3-6 year olds.

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Global education is a term used a lot these days. You may have heard it on the news or read about it in newspapers or magazines. Global education is often used in connection with early childhood curriculum programs. Let’s take a look at what global education means and why it is important for young children.

Before discussing what global education is, it may be helpful to know what global education is not. Global education is not a collection of one-time activities that promote a “tourist approach” to learning about different communities of the world. Nor is it taught in connection with seasons and holidays as a means of comparing and contrasting cultures. Global education is, however, about promoting a perception of the world in terms of “unity within diversity,” helping children to recognize what is similar and unique among cultures. For example, children learn that although individuals and groups of people may have different views of life, they also have common needs and wants. Additionally, global education seeks to instill in children a sense of belonging to a larger world community, which fosters the idea that world systems are interconnected and interdependent. Finally, global education gives children glimpses of the world through the eyes of others, thereby promoting acceptance and tolerance.

We live in a world that grows smaller every day. Advances in technology have shortened the distance between countries and continents. It is easier than ever before to travel to faraway places. The ability to communicate with people on the other side of the globe requires little more than a few clicks on a keyboard, and news that occurs thousands of miles away is received within minutes after it occurs. As we continue to connect with people around the world in these and other ways, we come to see how much our future depends on our ability to cultivate global relationships.

Of course, children’s lives are also affected by new technology and the shrinking global landscape. For example, most school-age children are very comfortable communicating with family and friends through e-mails and text messaging. Children see and hear local, national, and international news on the TV or Internet every day. At school, children interact and play with peers who may speak other languages, celebrate different traditions, and live different lifestyles. It is important that we also help children navigate this exciting and ever-changing landscape.

Teaching Global Education to Children

Among the principles of global education is the notion that global education is basic education, and that it can be interwoven among other disciplines, such as reading and writing, math, and music. For this and other reasons, global education can be seen as lifelong learning—that is, it is not something that can be adequately addressed in a short amount of time. Thus, it is never too early to begin teaching global education to children. As a parent, there are many ways to incorporate global education into your child’s learning. Here are a few.

• Talk with your child about how different people live, eat, play, and work around the world. Seek out high-quality books from your local library or bookstore, such as Children Just Like Me by Unicef. Ask your child questions about the books you read together, encouraging him or her to find the similarities and differences among people around the world.
• Use technology appropriately. The Internet can be a great source of child-appropriate websites about different cultures and places of the world. Be sure to research all websites beforehand to ensure they are appropriate for your child.
• Play games with and expose your child to toys, puzzles, and games from other countries. Since all children play with games and toys, they are a wonderful and fun way for children to learn more about other cultures.
• Attend cultural events in your area to show your child that there are many ways of living, eating, and celebrating. Visit local cultural centers to explore how different people and cultures are the same and different.
• Listen to music CDs from other countries with your child. Combining music with learning is one of the best ways for young children to learn. Try to find translations of the lyrics to help your child learn new words too.
• Encourage your child to learn a new language. Better yet, learn a new language together!
• Finally, always talk respectfully and openly about similarities and differences among people. For example, try to discover the names of some of the unique clothing people in other countries wear, rather than call them “special outfits” or “costumes.”

By engaging in these and other activities regularly, your child will be well on his or her way to becoming a global citizen.

Saras is a program development specialist in our Education and Training Department and the mother of an infant. She has two Master’s degrees, one in Child Development and Family Studies and the other in Special Education, develops program materials, and conducts curriculum research for our schools.

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I have a son, 18 months. I adore him. Right now, my two hot topics with my current care provider are parent communication and evidence of learning. I think it’s really important for teachers and directors to communicate clearly and transparently.

For example, I hate when I see a new teacher in my kid’s room and I didn’t know the other teacher had left. It’s important to live up to the commitments we make to parents.

As for evidence of learning, I need to know what my child is learning every day. I love photos, anecdotes, etc. It helps me feel connected to my son and his development.

I know that The Grove School will go a great job on both fronts since they are central to the whole experience. If only The Grove School was in my city! Soon, I hope.

Dani project manages our team, making sure that our decisions align with the school's commitments. Outside of work, she loves being the mother of a young son.

 

 

Will I see you give
More than I can take?
Will I only harvest some?
As the days fly past
Will we lose our grasp
Or fuse it in the sun?

Did she wake you up
To tell you that
It was only a change of plan?
Dream up, dream up,
Let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man.

–Neil Young, Harvest

I believe that part of parenting is planning for a harvest. If we plant the seeds, nurture the growth, and support the essence of experiential life direction through learning into adulthood, then the issues of our time–energy conservation, sustainability, and consideration of loving oneself and others–will not be a function of choice but a part of life itself.

Laura is our director of school operations. With 3 children of her own and a 19-year tenure in the early education field, her expertise is helping to build a community of health conscious achievers with the capacity to love and appreciate the world around us.

 

 

There is nothing in life that compares to being a parent–both the highs and lows. My three and six year-olds are an ongoing source of astonishment and a daily reminder that patience is a hard-earned virtue.

Working in a company devoted to children’s education gives me the privilege of connecting my work with deep personal values. The opportunity to build a school from the ground up is a project that has captivated a number of us for years.

The immense change that we’ve undergone in recent years as a society has brought a new focus, perhaps a strengthened set of values. The school emerged out of a small team’s energy to build a new kind of educational community. This is the time for The Grove School.

It’s a place devoted to each child and helping them understand their place in their community and the world. To fostering a community to support these children. And to combining special teachers with a learning plan that gives each child the best start possible. I just wish there was one in my neighborhood!

Anne is our chief marketing officer. A former senior VP at Bank of America and Starbucks, she drives all marketing, communications and digital activities. She's also the mother of 2 children.

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An advantage we have with The Grove School is the ability to leverage the resources of a national expert in child development and education. Knowledge Universe is our taproot, that strong, central root that anchors a tree. Because of our relationship to them, we can be the nimble offshoot that grows quickly and purposefully in response to the needs of our neighborhood schools and the families we serve.

Knowledge Universe has cared for and educated more children than any other single entity in the country, and while we learn something new every day, we know children and education.

Hundreds of thousands of children have learned their colors and shapes, how to read and write, and been prepared for their academic careers at a Knowledge Universe center or school. We’re so proud of that fact, and we are very much looking forward to sharing those important milestones with the children and families of The Grove School.

David is our guru of community partnerships. He's the one bonding at the local level with families, schools, groups and businesses. Ever the amiable fellow, he has a background in non-profit resource development, fundraising, government and public relations, and policy analysis.

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When the first two schools open in January 2010, our first corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative will focus on tree planting.

We think there are a number of reasons why tree planting is a good fit for The Grove School. It’s something that benefits the local community. It strongly connects to our promise to promote a healthy mind, body and planet. It encourages participation by children, teachers, family, and community members. And there are a number of ways it ties back to our curriculum.

As with any CSR initiative we undertake, tree planting is something that children can do (with adult help, of course!). It also nicely demonstrates cause-and-effect, both in the way a tree grows and in the way a project like this can make a positive effect in a neighborhood.

And of course, we’re THE GROVE SCHOOL—we love trees!

David is our guru of community partnerships. He's the one bonding at the local level with families, schools, groups and businesses. Ever the amiable fellow, he has a background in non-profit resource development, fundraising, government and public relations, and policy analysis.

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1. I know that the staff at the school–from the Head of School to the Education Manager to the teachers–will all be of a caliber that is unparalleled in the preschool industry. Not only will they be exemplary at teaching kids, but they’ll have such a unique culture. We’re going for staff that aren’t just great at teaching, but are forward thinkers as well.

2. I’m attracted to the overall emphasis on health. I know that The Grove Schools will be clean, healthy places.

I honestly can’t wait for a school near me so I can enroll my daughter!!!

Dan steers our business development. As the father of a toddler and a conscientious consumer, he's energized by The Grove School's focus on high-quality education and the triple-bottom line (social and environmental responsibility in tandem with profitability).

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I came on board with The Grove School in July 2008. Ty Durekas, our president, sent an email asking me to be part of a small, diverse team of people to develop a best-in-class early education brand. I was enthusiastic from the start and jumped at the invitation. As the parent of a young daughter, I recognized that there was a large opportunity to fulfill a need among parents.

Also, rarely do you get the opportunity to help build something from scratch. So often in your job you’re picking up where other people left off, or focusing on transforming something that’s already in existence. It’s been such an amazing experience to truly build this concept from the ground up, where we’ve had such freedom to make it the way we’d like to.

To make sure our concept resonated with parents, we did three research studies. We found that there was a segment of parents who were interested in an exceptional early education offering who wanted high-caliber teachers and staff, very clean and organized facilities, and so forth.

Additionally, we saw that these same parents were very interested in a focus on health, specifically clean air and water in the schools, exercise incorporated in the curriculum, healthy food options, etc.

Finally, through our own research, as well as through overall market trends, we saw that there was an increasing focus on environmental sustainability. By looking at other preschool offerings, we knew that no provider was currently offering such an integrated concept. So, we talked with parents about the idea (once again), and they loved it.

Pieces of The Grove School concept have changed slightly over the past year, but the core idea has remained the same. It’s all about the convergence and tight integration of a healthy mind, body and planet across all facets of the school–from the curriculum to the staff to the facility.

Dan steers our business development. As the father of a toddler and a conscientious consumer, he's energized by The Grove School's focus on high-quality education and the triple-bottom line (social and environmental responsibility in tandem with profitability).

 

 

I interviewed the Head of School candidates in Cary, and I can say in all seriousness that it was inspiring. The people we spoke with were beyond our expectations–they were energetic, passionate, incredibly credentialed, and diverse.

We loved that beyond their impressive qualifications, they were all energized about what The Grove School stood for as well. This was perhaps the first concrete evidence for me that we had a truly appealing concept. These amazing educators were so eager to jump in and help us build it.

Our Head of School in Cary, Scott Andersen, will have any incredible impact on The Grove School–both at his school and for all schools moving forward. He’s truly an inspirational guy to speak with. I know that he will help us learn and improve on these first two schools, pushing us above and beyond what we hoped to accomplish.

Dan steers our business development. As the father of a toddler and a conscientious consumer, he's energized by The Grove School's focus on high-quality education and the triple-bottom line (social and environmental responsibility in tandem with profitability).

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