About the
Collective

artwork

“I’m an educator and have spent my entire adult life working with schools. Never before had I encountered a school that I trusted so completely. I felt totally confident that the Collective staff knew my child, loved my child, and kept their best interests in mind in every decision they made.”

- Alex Freidus - former parent & Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership at University of Connecticut

Our Preschool Approach

Read more about our philosophy in action

Play-based

Children are wired to learn by doing what they do best - to play, explore, and discover! Our approach is to support their natural curiosity and love for learning while having fun indoors and out.

Child-centered

Our staff is known to go above and beyond to meet each individual child where they are at while weaving together a curriculum shaped by what excites their unique class. From learning about solar eclipses to staging puppet shows, no day is ever ordinary.

Whole-child

The joy that hums through the Collective is built on deep respect. We pay close attention to each child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth so that they leave the Collective feeling confident, empowered, and prepared for their next steps in life.

Our Location in Brooklyn

The Collective sits on the corner of 7th Ave. and St. John’s Place, just blocks from the 2/3/B/Q trains and Prospect Park. Our own hands have gone into renovating the entire third floor of the Memorial Presbyterian Church over decades to create the unique and spacious environment we have today. Classrooms are large and bright, our airy indoor gym is perfect for rainy days, and our side yard provides an additional outdoor option to daily trips to Prospect Park or the local playground.

  • Exterior of building Park Slope

    Our home in Park Slope

  • kids walking in the park

    Play in Prospect Park

  • children and flowers in park slope

    Exploring our neighborhood

  • Beautiful old window

    A building with history

  • Our neighborhood in Park Slope

    Drawing the places we see

  • A child walks in a side yard during recess

    Our side yard

The Collective

Learn more about how we work

The magic is in our community.

Parent participation is a key to our success. The Collective is a fun, collaborative environment where adults from different economic, racial and cultural backgrounds come together, bound by their love and concern for their children. Parents help maintain and enhance the school, contributing at least 18 hours of work during the year, everything from snack runs to event planning and fundraising.

EMBRACE ALL

We believe that all forms of diversity enrich our community, and especially our children in their early critical years. We strive to create an inclusive culture that reflects and celebrates the diversity of Brooklyn.  

Interested in applying?

Come build with us! For the most up-to-date info on tours, deadlines, tuition, financial aid, and open slots, click here.

2024-2025 Calendar

The Collective does its best to accommodate the schedules of busy parents. We are open eleven months out of the year, from the day after Labor Day through the end of July. See below for more detailed info regarding holidays, breaks, special annual events and more.