“Here there are children and adults who seek the pleasure of playing, talking, thinking, and inventing together. They are engaged in learning how the existence of and the relationships between objects and people can be researched, improved and savoured together in friendship.”

-Loris Malaguzzi

Discovery Woods is as much of a community as it is a school. The goal of creating a strong and binding community…a community of learners and deep relationships was the primary goal when Rebecca started the program many years ago.

Discovery Woods feels like extended family, and we have learned through experience that this feeling grows from shared work and from shared fun.

We hope that every parent will find ways to participate that feel good, that inspire and sustain them. We hope parents will choose tasks that allow them to work from their strengths, develop new interests or skills, spend time with their children, enjoy the company of other parents and children, and have fun. We try hard to insure that parents feel enriched by and appreciated for their contributions to our program.

Why is this so important? First and foremost, we believe it is critical in order to make Discovery Woods a learning place for children. Young children do not see themselves as separate from their families, so they feel accepted, respected, and understood at school when they see that their families are accepted, respected, and understood. Children’s development requires strong connections between all the adults who share their care.
Children rely on the parents and teachers who love them to build the bridge they will cross every day between home and school, the place we hope will come to feel like their home away from home.

Our group sizes are small with engaged adult guides and plentiful resources. We are licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

We offer opportunities for parents and teachers to deepen their understanding of children and early childhood education through workshops and parent collaborations.

We are actively involved in the early childhood education community, both locally and internationally and welcome collaborative projects and study groups.