History

A HISTORY OF EXCELLENCE

The Acorn School was founded in 1994 by an experienced early childhood educator who became alarmed by what the Carnegie Corporation called America’s “quiet crisis”[1]—as more parents of young children entered the workforce, more of children were largely being raised by an ongoing succession of inadequately trained and underpaid caregivers. To help address this concern, what is now known as The Acorn School first opened its doors 1994 in a working class Boulder neighborhood. The current school incorporates all of the best practices recommended by the original Carnegie report: low teacher-child ratios, small group sizes, qualified and well-trained caregivers, health/safety as a priority, and strong linkages to parents and the community.

Acorn’s full-day, year-round, high-quality early childhood education program serves children aged six weeks to six years. Acorn also advocates for higher standards in the field of early childhood through our work with other key stakeholders in the early childhood community, specifically the Boulder County Early Childhood Task Force and the Early Childhood Council of Boulder County (ECCBC).  We view the personal development and education of the infants, toddlers, and preschoolers we serve as a profound stewardship that deserves the greatest resources, the best talent and the most nurturing attention possible.  This opportunity must be made available to all children, regardless of socioeconomic status.

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