The Oaks is the oldest cooperative preschool in Santa Barbara, educating families since 1947. As a parent cooperative, The Oaks is run by the parents of the children enrolled in the preschool with close supervision from the Executive Director, Andrea Uzupis, and the Program Director, Elisabeth Philabaum. The extensive parent participation allows The Oaks to provide the highest quality preschool education for young children. Most importantly, parents learn invaluable information about the growth and development of their children.

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The parents at The Oaks are responsible for most aspects of the daily operations of the preschool. With support, the parents design the many daily activities for the children, supervise the children’s play, clean The Oaks at the end of each day, maintain The Oaks facility, and help with the yearly fund raising to supplement the low monthly tuition.  Each parent contributes equally to help The Oaks be an engaging setting for their children to grow and flourish.

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OUR PHILOSOPHY

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Central to our program is the notion that parents are a child’s first teachers. Under the guidance of early childhood educators, Oaks parents work and learn how to be more effective parents -- from each other and the children. Our weekly parent education classes recognize the pivotal role of family in young children’s lives and provide ongoing education to foster parenting skills.

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We also believe the environment acts as a quiet yet profound teacher in the lives of young children. This notion inspires us to thoughtfully set up the learning environment each day to foster a child’s natural sense of curiosity, exploration and wonder. We are also keenly conscious of our natural environment: The Oaks strives to become an increasingly sustainable “green” environment for our families within the urban setting we inhabit.

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A core value of the Oaks’ program is a focus on social-emotional foundations. We recognize the important work children do as they develop friendships, practice problem solving and conflict resolution, develop self regulation, and enhance their emotional literacy. Fostering social-emotional skills is also a core theme in the parent education classes.

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In a cooperative school environment where children and parents participate, a strong community naturally emerges. We believe this community strengthens our children and their parents, now and for years to come. Generations of Oaksters are living proof. Each year, we are grateful to welcome families from a wide variety of financial, ethnic, educational, and national backgrounds. We believe this diversity strengthens us.

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