C-Street Cooperative Preschool

C-Street Cooperative Preschool has been inspiring and educating children through creative play for almost 50 years. Located close to UVa, we offer a caring and engaged community for families who want to be actively involved in their children’s education.

Our school opened in 1972 as a non-profit school independently operated by the parents. Housed in the basement of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, our preschool rents space and some equipment from the church, but is not otherwise affiliated. C-Street Cooperative Preschool is incorporated and has a board of directors headed by two parent co-chairs who are elected by their fellow C-Street families each spring.

On a typical day, our preschoolers might act out a fairy tale, play music with our incredible instrument collection, dress up as firefighters, make wood sculptures with real hammers and nails, or go wherever their imaginations take them. Our play-based philosophy includes time outside every day, rain or shine, digging in our garden, making mud pies in the sand, or taking a field trip to UVa’s gardens to see the changing seasons.