Since 1973, Beehive Co-op Preschool has been a part of new parents and their children’s educational journey in West University Place. For some West U families, enrolling their child into Beehive Co-op Preschool comes naturally. That’s because it was the same preschool they attended when they were 3 to 5 years old.

Jan Doherty enrolled her daughter, Jennifer Randall, when she was preschool age, and once it was time for Randall to enroll her children, Beehive was the first choice.

“I never felt like there was going to be another option other than Beehive ... the freedom to still be a part of the classroom, not just volunteering and bringing cupcakes but really being in there and learning alongside [my daughter],” Randall said on one of the school videos online.

Beehive is a nonprofit preschool and describes its curriculum as play-based with parent involvement that encourages learning through active play activities and exploration. Beehive teachers facilitate the play-based learning in combination with established educational curriculum.

Their academic calendar is aligned to Houston ISD and operates 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday throughout the school year and for the most part, school officials said, they operate in small cohorts. During the summer, they host camps and other events for the families and their children, according to school officials.

Before President-elect Geri Harris became a part of the school’s leadership, she was a new parent trying to configure which preschool her son should attend. She found out about Beehive after walking around West University Place elementary school and saw advertising for the preschool.

As a full-time working mom, at first she said that even though she works with children on a daily basis, she felt intimidated by the thought of hands-on parent involvement with her child’s education.

Harris said the staff made her feel comfortable, and fast-forward to present day, her son just completed his first year.

“We do a lot of parent education, parent training,” Harris said. “We want all the parents who come in to feel comfortable. We want them to feel involved.”

Beehive Director Anna Rosenblath said that some of the dads who volunteer can lead a variety of activities or projects that they’re interested in.

“We’ve even had a dad that was a yoga teacher that would come and teach yoga,” Rosenblath said.

Two programs are part of the preschool, according to the school leaders:

• Preschool class that is described for children ages 3-4 where they learn basic foundations of reading and writing through song and play. Children in this group develop their social skills and engage with their peers.
• Prekindergarten class is described as elementary school children who participate in writing, art, games, stories and puzzles. Learning is encouraged as teachers lead the kids through projects and problem-solving activities.

“There’s actually a lot of studies showing that play-based learning not only teaches the necessary skills, but also fosters that lifetime love of learning,” Harris said.

713-660-7642. www.beehivecoop.org