Indiana Council of Pre School Co Ops

Information may not be reliable

What is a Cooperative Preschool?A cooperative preschool is formed by a group of parents who organize to provide their children with a quality early childhood program. Under the guidance of a qualified teacher, the parents have an opportunity to assist in the classroom and participate in all aspects of the children's activities in a program that focuses on learning through play.

The parent education program, carried on throughout the year, is an integral feature of the cooperative preschool.
Parents, children, and their teachers all share in the learning experience.

Our HistoryIn 1915, faculty wives at the University of Chicago founded the first parent participation nursery school. During the 1930's parent cooperatives grew rapidly in California. Cooperative preschools came to Indianapolis in the 1950's, when Katharine Whiteside Taylor conducted a workshop at Butler University on cooperative nursery schools. Interested parents took additional classes and started 4 cooperative preschools, Glendale, Eastgate, Northeast, and Castleton Kindergarten (now Willowcreek). In 1959 these schools joined together to form the Indianapolis Council of Preschool Cooperatives to buy items in bulk and share ideas about parent education and fundraising. This group helped other new cooperatives get organized and established, raising the number of Indianapolis cooperative preschools to 27 in the 1980's!
In 1998, the organization changed its name to the Indiana (instead of Indianapolis) Council of Preschool Cooperatives in order to offer their resources to a broader base of cooperative preschools. The focus of the organization has changed from starting-up new schools to supporting existing ones. We would love to see the number of cooperative preschools growing again, so please let us know if you would like assistance starting a school in your area!