Philosophy & Mission

At Stretch the Imagination, we feel a deep responsibility to honor and protect this magical time in a child’s life. We take great pride in building a safe, nurturing, and creative environment where young children are viewed as competent and capable learners. Our school is a place of research, collaboration, and play where children and teachers learn together through project work and discovery.

We see it as our responsibility to meet each child where they are as individuals and to help them cultivate confidence and a love of learning.

We believe that knowledge is learned from experiences with others. We trust that the interaction, exchange, and investigation that we embark upon with others gives us the ability to construct knowledge. We believe that it is not only what a child learns, but how a child learns that gives quality to the educational experience. We understand the power of relationships and recognize the importance of building a foundation of trust and collaboration with both our parents and students. Stretch is a true community built by families and educators who are resources and partners during these early years.

Our school is dedicated to the belief that it is everyone’s right to have a deep connection with the natural world. We protect the time and freedom it takes for children to build a relationship with nature and each other, allowing children to see themselves as a part of the natural world rather than separate from it. In supporting this relationship we hope to cultivate the seeds of stewardship in generations to come.

It is our mission to educate with love, cultivate a child’s innate curiosity, support each child's agency, and partner with our families during these early childhood years.

As educators we take great pride in our work and child development. We are lifelong learners ourselves and view our role as a facilitator and guide alongside a child as they explore and discover. We are very intentional in the language we use with children. We uphold an environment of trust where adults respond rather than react to a child’s actions and needs. It is our mission to educate with love, cultivate a child’s innate curiosity, support each child’s agency, and partner with our families during these early childhood years.