Our Program

The Dewey School is located on nearly 700 acres of forest, pasture, gardens, and buildings at the historic museum setting of the Canterbury Shaker Village (a National Historic Landmark) providing endless opportunities for exploration and learning to instill.  Children are valued as strong, capable, resilient human beings and their teachers are co-learners in discovery providing support and encouraging thought and inquisitiveness. Utilizing the natural world as a guide to support dual goals that address both child development and conservation values. 

To begin each day,  provocations bring nature inside creating opportunities to expand investigation and dig deeper from our previous day's exploration.  Providing environments that support play-based learning in a  multi-age setting of 3-5 year-olds provides opportunities for leadership, cooperation, a relaxed learning environment without competition, and endless opportunities to learn from one another.  

From observations to explorations, children are provided opportunities indoors and out to inspire their imagination, exploration, and curiosity.