OUR SCHOOL

THE EARTH SCHOOL STORY 

In 1992, teachers in Manhattan’s East Village founded the Earth School on a dream: to create a peaceful, nurturing place to stimulate learning in all realms of child development intellectual, social, emotional and physical. Visit the Earth School today and see how that dream has flourished. Today it is a thriving community of over 240 children in pre-kindergarten through grade 5 with a teaching staff dedicated to the founding values of hands-on exploration, an arts-rich curriculum, responsible stewardship of the Earth’s resources, harmonious resolution of conflict, and parent-teacher partnership.

OUR MISSION 

The Earth School’s Mission Statement reflects the community’s deep commitment to sustainable uses of the Earth’s resources. We have worked to integrate eco-literacy education into all aspects of the curriculum. 

Our mission:

The staff, families, and support agencies that comprise the Earth School community nurture the development of our students through our ongoing collaboration and our deep commitment to knowing each child through her unique strengths and interests.

We work to be a place where children and adults from diverse backgrounds come together to celebrate our differences, to appreciate our common humanity, and to contribute to our community. Our mission is to support children's inherent love of learning through curriculum that is active, playful, socially conscious, and rigorous. 

The Earth School's educational program is designed to support children's academic achievement and to encourage their commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflict and the preservation of the earth's resources.

OUR APPROACH

Earth School teachers believe in the progressive idea that children have different styles of learning and flourish when their individual abilities are respected. While working rigorously in literacy and math, Earth School students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and even sometimes make a mess in the pursuit of learning.

Earth School children come from diverse cultural, ethnic and economic backgrounds. Most classrooms combine two grades so that older students can thrive as guides and mentors while younger ones gain confidence in being part of a caring community of learners.