named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Cooperative Preschool Program
Play-based early education for children ages 2.5 to 5 with parent participation in classroom activities and school maintenance; includes circle time, free play, crafts, snacks, and outdoor play
Monthly Field Trips
Monthly excursions to locations such as orchards, libraries, museums, and farms; all children invited regardless of enrollment days
Parent Involvement Program
Structured parent participation including classroom helper duties, monthly meetings, and family maintenance tasks to support low tuition costs
activities · 3 groups
What they do
-
Play-Based Early Childhood Education 1 activity
- Operate parent-cooperative preschool programProvides a quality, low-cost early education program for children ages 2.5 to 5, operating weekday morning sessions from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. during a two-semester academic year (September to June). The program follows a play-based curriculum emphasizing social-emotional development, hands-on learning in arts, music, science, literature, and language, and includes daily outdoor play, structured classroom activities, and monthly field trips or guest visits.
-
-
Admissions Outreach and Enrollment Support 1 activity
- Provide enrollment and community engagement opportunitiesOffers prospective families the opportunity to tour the school and meet the teacher before enrollment, hosts an annual public open house on a Saturday during the spring semester (typically March), and maintains ongoing communication through scheduled events and meetings.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Engage parents in classroom and operational rolesRequires enrolled families to participate in the cooperative model through rotating classroom helper duties, parent-led cleaning or maintenance tasks (approximately 30 minutes or less per week), and attendance at mandatory monthly parent meetings. Parents serve as classroom assistants based on enrollment frequency, supporting daily instruction and classroom operations.
-
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$24K
Contributions & grants$4K17%
Program service revenue$20K83%
Investment income$60%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$33K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$27K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$15K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$14K
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -44.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUZANNE FOOTE | PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, REGISTRAR | 20 | $27K |
relationships · 10
Who they work with
- American Association of University Women Partner — Co-founded East Ithaca Preschool in 1924 alongside local parents and Cornell University's Department of Home Economics.
- Bethel Grove Community Center Partner — Hosts East Ithaca Preschool as a tenant, providing space for operations since 1977.
- Cornell University Partner — Provided influence and assistance through its Department of Home Economics (now Human Ecology) in the founding of East Ithaca Preschool.
- East Ithaca Preschool Network — Identified as the nation's oldest cooperative preschool, indicating membership or affiliation within a broader network of cooperative educational institutions.
- GalaBid Partner — Platform used for hosting the 2022 online auction fundraiser.
- Head Start Government — Former employer of a teaching staff member, indicating professional affiliation and experience.
- Hubert the Horse Partner — Visited the classroom as a special animal guest.
- Ithaca City School District Network — Aligns school calendar and breaks with those of the Ithaca City School District.
- Mrs. Foote Partner — Teacher at the preschool whom prospective families meet during tours and who leads classroom instruction.
- Parent Cooperative Preschools International Network — Member of a national network supporting parent cooperative preschools.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Experiential and Peer-Based Learningmethodology: experiential_learningBy using hands-on learning, multiage classrooms, and peer modeling, the preschool supports cognitive, social, and emotional development, because children learn developmental milestones—such as language acquisition and toilet training—more naturally through immersive interaction and observation of peers than through direct instruction alone.
- Parent Cooperative Modelmethodology: cooperative_modelBy involving parents as active participants in classroom instruction, school maintenance, and governance, the preschool sustains a high adult-to-child ratio and lower operational costs, because shared responsibility fosters community ownership, increases family engagement, and reduces the financial burden on individual households.
- Parent Education Through Participationmethodology: parent_education_through_participationBy engaging parents directly in classroom activities, the preschool improves parenting skills and deepens understanding of child development, because hands-on observation and guided practice in real-time settings reinforce developmental concepts more effectively than didactic instruction alone.