*Pandemic outdoor model*
We’ve successfully created a model that has provided a consistent, in-person preschool experience for our families this year (2020-2021). We are excited to continue this model and operate safely next year in order to give families a reliable in-person preschool experience during the Pandemic. We’ve been able to protect the heart of preschool – ensuring our children have a place to learn social and emotional skills that will prepare them for life.
To see what we are doing, watch our latest video!
Welcome to Durham Community Preschool!
Durham Community Preschool offers part-time child care for the academic year, September to May. During the summer, we offer an optional summer session for infants and toddlers and weekly summer camps for three- to five-year-olds. To learn about our classes, see our descriptions to the right of this page.
For the 2020-2021 school year, we are going outside! To read more about our outdoor adventure, click on Pods 2020-2021. Here’s a quick information sheet about the benefits of outdoor learning. Nature Can Improve Health and Wellbeing
Our Mission
Durham Community Preschool is a secular non-profit preschool that offers play-based, part time child-care. We welcome families of every race, ethnicity, religion, family structure, and background.
Our Vision
Our vision is to nurture the potential of each child through innovative strategies that foster social-emotional development and creative exploration. We are unwavering in our commitment to providing families with a high quality educational experience within our inclusive, socially responsible community.
Did you know that Durham Community Preschool is a non-profit? Donations of any amount can be made to DCP through our secure PayPal account or by cash or check during school hours. All charitable donations to DCP are tax deductible.
We offer subscription giving to fund a teacher’s continuing education at our preschool. This fund allows teachers to dive deeper into environmental education, Conscious Discipline, equity and inclusion, developmentally appropriate practice, loose parts play and more!
Our Values and Philosophy
Children are naturally creative, possessing an innate curiosity and taking delight in discovering the world around them through active exploration. We support these attributes by:
- engaging our young people to learn through play, creativity, and hands-on activities;
- providing them with a comfortable and enriching environment; and
- allowing them to develop their ideas and freely express themselves.
Experiences in early childhood also shape how young people view the world and their connection with it. At DCP, we encourage our children to become compassionate and mindful members of their community by:
- recognizing that each child is a capable individual;
- giving our children a solid foundation of confidence and self-worth to support their journey through childhood;
- emphasizing the value of community; and
- modeling peaceful conflict resolution and respect for one another.
Family Involvement
Family involvement is strongly encouraged at Durham Community Preschool. It is a cornerstone of our program and crucial to our community-building mission. We encourage parents to volunteer a small portion of their time each month. This can take the form of assisting in the classroom, supporting staff with small projects, or helping with a fund-raising event. We have a mix of parents represented at DCP: some have full-time jobs outside of the home, some work at home or at part-time jobs, and some have busy student or volunteer schedules – but all participate in the life of our preschool, and we are stronger for it. Durham Community Preschool is so named because we truly value community: both our small but vital family of parents, children, teachers, and staff, and the larger communities of Durham and beyond.
