Childswork Learning Center is a non-profit early childhood education school located in Southeast Portland, Oregon. Since 1984, our school has served a diverse population of children and families, focusing on the development of the whole child with respect and compassion.

Childswork is a safe place for children to explore, take chances, make messes and learn through play. At Childswork we nurture wonder, we embrace joy, and we foster discovery.

Our School

Childswork Early Learning Center is a play-based school dedicated to serving children ages two to six years old. Located in a charming neighborhood of SE Portland, our school has 13 classrooms, 32 staff, an indoor gym, a full kitchen and a large outdoor play area including raised garden beds, play structures and Lemon Louise, a real McKenzie River Drift boat!

Mission & Philosophy

Mission Statement:

Childswork Learning Center is a community dedicated to excellence in developmentally appropriate early childhood education, where each child and family is respected in an environment that supports lifelong learners.

Our Philosophy:

Play is a child's work. Play is a child's response to life. It is the way children discover themselves and the world around them.

Our Core Values:

Collaboration

At Childswork we partner with children, families, colleagues, and community members to support life- long learning in children and adults. We support this continued learning through inclusive ongoing dialogue, planning and investigating knowing that extraordinary experiences full of joy, wonder and discovery await us all.

Integrity

At Childswork we are a credible organization, dedicated to providing a developmentally appropriate program with intentionality, self-reflection, and professionalism. We are transparent with ourselves and our community, honest and genuine with our children, and passionate about our craft.

Respect

At Childswork respect is expressed in an environment that honors the time and space that an individual needs to grow and learn, through interactions in a safe sacred place. Communicating, listening, and reflecting guide our actions toward others, materials, common shared spaces and ourselves.

Community

At Childswork we foster community within our school and surrounding neighborhoods. Purposefully building relationships and engaging families we reach individual needs in a safe, trusting, and inclusive environment.

Inquiry

At Childswork we believe children are capable of using their natural sense of inquiry and wonder to construct knowledge about the world around them. We support children's right to explore their natural interests by encouraging independent and collaborative experimentation and theory-building.