Park West Cooperative Nursery School

What Park West Cooperative Nursery School does

Park West Cooperative Nursery School is a non-profit 501(c)(3) parent cooperative preschool founded in 1971 and located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The school provides play-based early childhood education for children ages 18 months through 5 years, organized into age-tiered programs: Tots (parent-accompanied, 18 months to 2.5 years), 2-Day, 3-Day, 4-Day, Junior Kindergarten, and an optional Full Day extension with Lunch Bunch add-on. The core methodology is a play-based emergent curriculum emphasizing child-led exploration, social-emotional development, and a gradual, individualized separation process, supported by class sizes of 16-18 children with teacher-to-child ratios of 4.5:1 to 6:1, enhanced by a parent classroom assistant.

The cooperative structure is central to the operating model: every member family serves on a committee or the Board of Directors, assists in the classroom every 7-9 weeks, and contributes 5 hours of committee service per year. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition across the program tiers, supplemented by an Annual Gala, the Mind the Gap tuition assistance donation program, a Young Alumni Campaign, and corporate giving. Admissions use a rolling, first-come-first-served process managed through the TADS enrollment system, while day-to-day arrival and dismissal are handled via the Remini app with QR codes and approved-pickup 5-digit codes. Summer Play Camp and seasonal Discovery Classes extend the offering beyond the academic year, and Enrichment Programs from external providers are hosted on-site.

The school has approximately 11 employees, including an Executive Director (Ashley Chia), an Education Director (Katrina Nousaine Mann, MS Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute), Lead Teachers, Assistant Teachers, Inclusion Aides, an Office Manager/Tots Teacher, an Administrative Assistant, and Substitute Teachers. Teacher tenure ranges from 1 to 40+ years, with more than a third of teachers exceeding a decade and three teachers being former Park West students. The institution operates as a private non-profit with no parent company and no external investors, governed by its member families through a Board of Directors and standing committees including Admissions, Marketing, and Gala.

Name

Park West Cooperative Nursery School

Legal name

Park West Cooperative Nursery School

Website

https://parkwestcoop.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Park West Cooperative Nursery School is a non-profit 501(c)(3) parent cooperative preschool in Lincoln Park, Chicago, providing play-based early childhood education for children ages 18 months to 5 years through member-family governance, classroom participation, and tuition plus fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative (Parent-Led) Preschools (EDACABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL), Nursery School Wraparound Care (Extended Hours) (EDACACAG), Half-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAC)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Preschool programs
• Cooperative preschool
• Play-based learning
• Childcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Tuition payments from families for preschool programs including Tots, 2-Day, 3-Day, 4-Day, Junior Kindergarten, and Full Day programs. Park West is a non-profit 501(c)(3) institution.
2. Annual Gala Fundraising: Spring Gala fundraising event organized by the Gala Committee, including soliciting high-ticket items, trips, and experiences for auction.
3. Mind the Gap Donations: Donation program to support programs directly, maximizing benefit to children.
4. Mind the Gap Fundraising: Tuition assistance fundraising campaign.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Park West Cooperative Nursery School is a parent cooperative preschool providing half-day and full-day early childhood education for children ages 18 months to 5 years. Programs are organized by age (Tots, 2-Day, 3-Day, 4-Day, Junior Kindergarten) and built around a play-based emergent curriculum with active parent involvement in classrooms and committees.

Product overview

Park West Cooperative Nursery School is a parent cooperative preschool offering half-day and full-day early childhood education programs. The core program consists of age-based classroom programs: 2-Day Morning Program (for 2-year-olds), 3-Day Morning Program (for 3-year-olds), 4-Day Morning Program (for 3-year-olds), and Junior Kindergarten (for 4-year-olds). These can be extended via the Full Day Program (afternoon extension until 3:30pm) and Lunch Bunch add-on. The school also offers the Tots Program (parent-accompanied classes for 18-month to 2.5-year-olds) and Discovery Classes including Summer Play Camp. Enrichment Programs from external providers add specialized offerings. All programs follow a play-based emergent curriculum with parental involvement through classroom assistance and committee service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tots Program Parent-accompanied class for children ages 18 months to 2.5 years. Tots 1 meets Friday mornings 9:00-10:30am; Tots 2 meets Friday mornings 9:00-10:45am. Parents and caregivers provide emotional support while children explore classroom activities with two teachers and sixteen children per class.
• 2-Day Morning Program A gentle introduction to preschool meeting Tuesdays and Fridays 8:30-10:30am. For children born before March 1, 2024. Features three teachers, one assisting parent, and sixteen children in a small group setting.
• 3-Day Morning Program Entry point program meeting Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30-11:30am with a 4.5:1 child/adult ratio. For children born before January 1, 2024. Features three teachers, one assisting parent, and eighteen children focusing on emotional development, communication, and material exploration.
• 4-Day Morning Program Preschool program meeting Tuesday through Friday 8:30-11:30am with a 6:1 child/adult ratio. For children turning 3 by September 1. Includes afternoon lunch bunch and full day extension options.
• Junior Kindergarten (JK) Program Program for 4-year-olds meeting Tuesday through Friday 8:30-11:30am with a 6:1 child/adult ratio. Features extended study activities, chapter book readings, and theatrical productions. Full day option available until 3:30pm.
• Full Day Program Afternoon extension for 4-Day and JK students including lunch and afternoon programming until 3:30pm. Available for children from both classes.
• Lunch Bunch Optional lunch extension program adding midday meal and additional supervision time, extending morning program dismissal to 12:30pm.
• Summer Play Camp

Quantifiable outcome

• Children are prepared to transition exceptionally well into diverse elementary schools including public, parochial, and private institutions

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KinderCare Learning Companies: Large national chain of early childhood education centers including Chicago locations. Comparable as a tuition-driven preschool operator though competing on scale, convenience, and corporate branding rather than Park West's cooperative, play-based niche.
• Francis W. Parker School: Established Chicago progressive independent school (pre-K through 12) with a long history of child-centered, experiential pedagogy. Comparable educational philosophy to Park West but at much larger scale and broader grade range.
• Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School: Jewish day school on Chicago's north side serving early childhood through grade 12 with progressive, play-based early childhood program. Direct geographic and philosophical overlap with Park West's target families in Lincoln Park and surrounding neighborhoods.
• Chicago City Day School: Independent preschool through grade 8 school in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood emphasizing hands-on, individualized learning. Comparable to Park West in target demographics, philosophy, and north-side Chicago positioning.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: National corporate and family child care provider with Chicago locations. Comparable as a tuition-based child care provider though at much larger scale and with a corporate, employer-sponsored model rather than Park West's cooperative structure.

Direct peers

• The Gardner School: Premium early childhood education provider with locations in Chicago suburbs focused on play-based, high-engagement learning. Comparable as a tuition-based preschool serving affluent families with low child-to-teacher ratios in the same metro area.
• North Shore Country Day School: Independent preschool through grade 12 school on Chicago's north shore with progressive, child-centered pedagogy. Comparable to Park West's play-based emergent curriculum and parent-engaged community, though serving a broader geographic reach.
• Near North Montessori School: Chicago north-side private preschool through elementary school using a child-centered, hands-on learning philosophy. Highly comparable to Park West as a tuition-driven independent school serving similar Lincoln Park/Gold Coast families with a play-based, individualized approach.

Regional players

• Winnetka Parent's Nursery School: Long-established parent cooperative preschool in Winnetka, IL serving Chicago's north shore. Nearly identical cooperative model to Park West with parent classroom participation, though serving a different suburban geography rather than urban Chicago.

Others

• Old Town School of Folk Music (Early Childhood Programs): Chicago Lincoln Park institution offering early childhood music and movement enrichment classes for young children. Comparable as a north-side Chicago provider of complementary preschool-age programming where Park West families may overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/park-west-cooperative-nursery-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Park West Cooperative Nursery School