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A message from Head of School David Egolf and Assistant Head of School Mansi Vasa.

Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Learn about Corlears School's history, educational philosophy, mission, core values, and more.

Meet our faculty and staff and explore the directory.

welcome_to_corlears_image_for_nav-1

 

Everything prospective families need to know about Corlears admissions.

Outlining the admissions processes for each of our academic programs, from toddlers through fifth grade.
Visit our campus and go inside the curriculum with school leadership. 

Changing the paradigm from financial aid to equitable tuition level-setting for all families.
Quick Links
Viewbook flatlay

Everything you need to know about Corlears School in one handy booklet. Follow the link to receive a digital copy in your inbox.
Early Childhood Division
The Roots program for ages 16–24 months celebrates the way toddlers learn best: through the art of play and wonderment. 

The Seedlings nursery program fosters the natural wonder and curiosity of 2- and 3-year-olds.

Empowering children to become even greater participants in their learning and school community.
Elementary Division
As Corlears students enter the all-important elementary years, it’s all about making connections and building independence.

Building the foundation kids need to fall in love with learning and gain confidence for everything to come.

Comprehensive, individualized support for all Corlears graduates.
Auxiliary Programs
Classic summer fun with plenty of outdoor play, arts and crafts, and fun with friends. Led by Corlears teachers. Open to all.

All about the before- and after-school care available to families enrolled at Corlears.

Free family activities available on select Saturdays throughout the school year.
Meet the volunteer Board of Trustees and learn more about the committees and structures that govern Corlears School.

Events, holidays, and school closings.
Corlears families are important members of our school community, and we offer a number of ways to get involved.

How to get connected and stay involved with Corlears School's alumni community.
Corlears is a small school, but our community has a big heart — and many ways to get involved.

Every dollar has a lasting impact — not just on  students attending Corlears today, but on all children who come through our doors.

There are a variety of opportunities available for current and alumni community members to get involved by volunteering their time. 

A TRANSFORMATIONAL VISION
The Corlears 50th Anniversary Campaign

In 2018, Corlears celebrated its 50th anniversary. In honor of this significant milestone, Corlears School embarked on a 5-year, $4 million campaign that goes beyond our physical structure; this campaign is focused on our heart. Over the past five years, Corlears has been building a truly innovative and transformational vision that is growing a new model for what a private school made just for young children can be.

Fun with bubbles in the Corlears backyard with Love Child

Learn. Play. Grow.

The best in early education, free to the public on select Saturdays at Corlears School. We're back for 2023–24! Here you'll find the full schedule and registration links for the third year of LPG.

About Learn. Play. Grow.

Corlears School introduced Learn. Play. Grow. in October 2021. In founding this initiative, our mission has been to offer our expertise and facilities alongside a coalition of community-minded businesses and organizations in the effort to create broader inclusion and access for families in our diverse city.

We've opened our space up to hundreds of families from inside and outside our school community for completely free programming designed by our expert faculty in addition to partners including The GIANT Room, Love Child, Ramblin' Dan's Freewheelin' Band, Arts For All, and more!

 

Corlears School exterior

Equity, access, and belonging are core to who we are as a school and nonprofit organization, and we have 50+ years of experience fostering growth through play at the early childhood and elementary levels. LPG has been an exciting opportunity to share our mission with local families, and this is just the beginning!

Learn. Play. Grow. is also part of a larger initiative that includes shifting many aspects of the traditional independent school model, including the Tuition Equity and Access Model (TEAM), which has changed the paradigm from financial aid to equitable tuition level-setting for all Corlears families.

We hope to see you soon!

The Corlears backyard

Schedule and Registration

Each LPG Saturday, Corlears hosts programming from our very own expert teachers in addition to on-theme activities from recurring partners The GIANT Room, Love Child, and Arts For All. Plus, each week features a different special guest and an opportunity to engage in service to our community.

Registration is required for all activities — except service learning — so that we can manage capacity and welcome as many families as possible.

The 2023–24 season of Learn. Play. Grow. takes place on the following 8 Saturdays with accompanying themes:

  • October 28, 2023: Halloween Fall Fest
  • November 11, 2023: Day of Gratitude
  • December 2, 2023: Winter Fest    
  • January 20, 2024: MLK Day of Service
  • February 10, 2024: Lunar New Year Celebration
  • March 2, 2024: Sports Day
  • April 20, 2024: Earth Day
  • May 18, 2024: Summer Fest
  • Full Schedule
  • Ages 0–2
  • Ages 3–4
  • Ages 5–10

Toddler Open Play

Ages: 0–2
Time: 9–10:00 a.m
Location: Roots and Seedlings Blue (Rooms 101 and 113; First floor)

LPG schedule - toddler

 

Corlears School introduced the Roots toddler program in 2021. Designed for ages 16–24 months, our toddler program is rooted in age-appropriate milestones and celebrates how toddlers learn and thrive: through the art of play and wonderment.

On LPG Saturdays, toddler families are invited to join us in the Roots classroom for open play facilitated by Corlears early childhood teachers Ariel or Jessica. While not quite a playgroup, this activity is a great opportunity to meet and connect with fellow toddler families — plus, our littlest guests love exploring the sensory and play activities available in our early childhood classrooms!

Register on Sawyer  →

Access to Backyard Playspace

Ages: 1–4
Time: 9–10:00 a.m
Location: Backyard 

LPG schedule - outdoor play

 

Enjoy Corlears School's beautiful backyard playspace, featuring the mud kitchen, music wall, imagination playground blocks, and our climbing structure and slide.

Register on Sawyer  →

The GIANT Room

Ages: 3–10
Time: 9–10:00 a.m
Location: Gym (Room 401; Fourth floor)

LPG schedule - giant room

 

Join The GIANT Room for an interactive and engaging workshop full of hands-on creative projects! Families are invited to join us with their big ideas, and build and share creative projects among the community. You’ll create your own whimsical gardens, flying spiders and butterflies, arcade games, a fashion runway show, magical worlds under the water, and more. We'll dream of a new theme every week, come up with cool ideas, and build it together.

This workshop series is a great combination of hands-on creativity, engineering, arts, and crafts, focused on family engagement and fun!

Register on Sawyer →

Service Learning with Corlears Teachers

Ages: 3–10
Time: 10–11:00 a.m.
Location: Seedlings Red (Room 111; First floor)

LPG schedule - service

 

At Corlears, our students grow into change-makers through a curriculum that encourages activism and compassion for others. Service learning is a key element of our school’s curriculum because we wholeheartedly believe that regular civic engagement – especially from a young age – goes further than one-off community service projects.

Every week, Corlears elementary students collaborate on a project tied to the 17 Global Goals, which are initiatives that world leaders agree “will build a greener, fairer, better world by 2030.” The children choose a goal they’re most passionate about and, together in mixed-age groups, commit to a semester-long, developmentally appropriate service learning project that creates an impact. It’s through this firsthand experience researching a cause, planning a project, taking action, and reflecting on impact that our students begin to see themselves as change agents who can truly make a difference in the world.

This year, we’re taking our school’s commitment beyond the classroom. Anyone who joins us for our free Saturday programming at Learn. Play. Grow. will have a chance to make a meaningful difference in this community we call home.

Love Child

Ages: 1–4
Time: 10–10:45 a.m
Location: Backyard

LPG schedule - love child

 

With music and movement classes from Love Child, your tiny dancers will be right in their element as they learn coordination, team-building, and safe play skills in a lively environment. 

Each LPG Saturday, we'll be joined by either Universal Moms or Dr. Alex; both classes bring tons of musical energy so your little ones can get their ya-yas out before their afternoon nap. 

Register on Sawyer  →

Arts For All

Ages: 4–6
Time: 10–11:00 a.m
Location: First grade (Room 311; Third floor)

LPG schedule - arts for all

 

Arts For All offers accessible artistic opportunities to children in the New York City area who face socioeconomic, physical, or emotional barriers to exploring the arts. Through Arts For All, professional artists work with youth organizations to build self-confidence, self-expression, teamwork, resilience, and creativity in children.

At each Arts For All session, children will take an artistic dive into that week's LPG theme through interactive storytelling, visual arts, music, and/or movement.

Register on Sawyer  →

Learn. Play. Grow. with Corlears Teachers

Ages: 1–4
Time: 11–11:45 a.m
Location: Seedlings Green (Room 211; Second floor) and Seedlings Yellow (Room 213; Second floor)

LPG schedule - subject teachers

 

Each Saturday, a different Corlears School subject teacher will host an engaging, on-theme activity. Subscribe to our newsletter or keep an eye on the Sawyer listing to stay up to date on the rotating schedule! Past activities include print-making in our multipurpose art studio, storytelling and song with Trevor the librarian, and more.

Register on Sawyer  →

LPG Special Guest

Ages: 1–4* 
Time: 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m
Location: Either the gym (Room 401; Fourth floor) or the backyard

LPG schedule - special guest

*At least; some of our special guests might have higher age bands. Check Sawyer for details.

In addition to our regular programming, each LPG Saturday will showcase a different special guest. For detailed activity information, keep an eye on your inbox for the LPG newsletter or check the Sawyer listing.


Register on Sawyer  →

Toddler Open Play

Ages: 0–2
Time: 9–10:00 a.m
Location: Roots and Seedlings Blue (Rooms 101 and 113; First floor)

LPG schedule - toddler

 

Corlears School introduced the Roots toddler program in 2021. Designed for ages 16–24 months, our toddler program is rooted in age-appropriate milestones and celebrates how toddlers learn and thrive: through the art of play and wonderment.

On LPG Saturdays, toddler families are invited to join us in the Roots classroom for open play facilitated by Corlears early childhood teachers Ariel or Jessica. While not quite a playgroup, this activity is a great opportunity to meet and connect with fellow toddler families — plus, our littlest guests love exploring the sensory and play activities available in our early childhood classrooms!

Register on Sawyer  →

Access to Backyard Playspace

Ages: 1–4
Time: 9–10:00 a.m
Location: Backyard 

LPG schedule - outdoor play

 

Enjoy Corlears School's beautiful backyard playspace, featuring the mud kitchen, music wall, imagination playground blocks, and our climbing structure and slide.

Register on Sawyer  →

Love Child

Ages: 1–4
Time: 10–10:45 a.m
Location: Backyard

LPG schedule - love child

 

With music and movement classes from Love Child, your tiny dancers will be right in their element as they learn coordination, team-building, and safe play skills in a lively environment. 

Each LPG Saturday, we'll be joined by either Universal Moms or Dr. Alex; both classes bring tons of musical energy so your little ones can get their ya-yas out before their afternoon nap. 

Register on Sawyer  →

Learn. Play. Grow. with Corlears Teachers

Ages: 1–4
Time: 11–11:45 a.m
Location: Seedlings Green (Room 211; Second floor) and Seedlings Yellow (Room 213; Second floor)

LPG schedule - subject teachers

 

Each Saturday, a different Corlears School subject teacher will host an engaging, on-theme activity. Subscribe to our newsletter or keep an eye on the Sawyer listing to stay up to date on the rotating schedule! Past activities include print-making in our multipurpose art studio, storytelling and song with Trevor the librarian, and more.

Register on Sawyer  →

LPG Special Guest

Ages: 1–4* 
Time: 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m
Location: Either the gym (Room 401; Fourth floor) or the backyard

LPG schedule - special guest

*At least; some of our special guests might have higher age bands. Check Sawyer for details.

In addition to our regular programming, each LPG Saturday will showcase a different special guest. For detailed activity information, keep an eye on your inbox for the LPG newsletter or check the Sawyer listing.


Register on Sawyer  →

Access to Backyard Playspace

Ages: 1–4
Time: 9–10:00 a.m
Location: Backyard 

LPG schedule - outdoor play

 

Enjoy Corlears School's beautiful backyard playspace, featuring the mud kitchen, music wall, imagination playground blocks, and our climbing structure and slide.

Register on Sawyer  →

The GIANT Room

Ages: 3–10
Time: 9–10:00 a.m
Location: Gym (Room 401; Fourth floor)

LPG schedule - giant room

 

Join The GIANT Room for an interactive and engaging workshop full of hands-on creative projects! Families are invited to join us with their big ideas, and build and share creative projects among the community. You’ll create your own whimsical gardens, flying spiders and butterflies, arcade games, a fashion runway show, magical worlds under the water, and more. We'll dream of a new theme every week, come up with cool ideas, and build it together.

This workshop series is a great combination of hands-on creativity, engineering, arts, and crafts, focused on family engagement and fun!

Register on Sawyer →

Service Learning with Corlears Teachers

Ages: 3–10
Time: 10–11:00 a.m.
Location: Seedlings Red (Room 111; First floor)

LPG schedule - service

 

At Corlears, our students grow into change-makers through a curriculum that encourages activism and compassion for others. Service learning is a key element of our school’s curriculum because we wholeheartedly believe that regular civic engagement – especially from a young age – goes further than one-off community service projects.

Every week, Corlears elementary students collaborate on a project tied to the 17 Global Goals, which are initiatives that world leaders agree “will build a greener, fairer, better world by 2030.” The children choose a goal they’re most passionate about and, together in mixed-age groups, commit to a semester-long, developmentally appropriate service learning project that creates an impact. It’s through this firsthand experience researching a cause, planning a project, taking action, and reflecting on impact that our students begin to see themselves as change agents who can truly make a difference in the world.

This year, we’re taking our school’s commitment beyond the classroom. Anyone who joins us for our free Saturday programming at Learn. Play. Grow. will have a chance to make a meaningful difference in this community we call home.

Love Child

Ages: 1–4
Time: 10–10:45 a.m
Location: Backyard

LPG schedule - love child

 

With music and movement classes from Love Child, your tiny dancers will be right in their element as they learn coordination, team-building, and safe play skills in a lively environment. 

Each LPG Saturday, we'll be joined by either Universal Moms or Dr. Alex; both classes bring tons of musical energy so your little ones can get their ya-yas out before their afternoon nap. 

Register on Sawyer  →

Arts For All

Ages: 4–6
Time: 10–11:00 a.m
Location: First grade (Room 311; Third floor)

LPG schedule - arts for all

 

Arts For All offers accessible artistic opportunities to children in the New York City area who face socioeconomic, physical, or emotional barriers to exploring the arts. Through Arts For All, professional artists work with youth organizations to build self-confidence, self-expression, teamwork, resilience, and creativity in children.

At each Arts For All session, children will take an artistic dive into that week's LPG theme through interactive storytelling, visual arts, music, and/or movement.

Register on Sawyer  →

Learn. Play. Grow. with Corlears Teachers

Ages: 1–4
Time: 11–11:45 a.m
Location: Seedlings Green (Room 211; Second floor) and Seedlings Yellow (Room 213; Second floor)

LPG schedule - subject teachers

 

Each Saturday, a different Corlears School subject teacher will host an engaging, on-theme activity. Subscribe to our newsletter or keep an eye on the Sawyer listing to stay up to date on the rotating schedule! Past activities include print-making in our multipurpose art studio, storytelling and song with Trevor the librarian, and more.

Register on Sawyer  →

LPG Special Guest

Ages: 1–4* 
Time: 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m
Location: Either the gym (Room 401; Fourth floor) or the backyard

LPG schedule - special guest

*At least; some of our special guests might have higher age bands. Check Sawyer for details.

In addition to our regular programming, each LPG Saturday will showcase a different special guest. For detailed activity information, keep an eye on your inbox for the LPG newsletter or check the Sawyer listing.


Register on Sawyer  →

The GIANT Room

Ages: 3–10
Time: 9–10:00 a.m
Location: Gym (Room 401; Fourth floor)

LPG schedule - giant room

 

Join The GIANT Room for an interactive and engaging workshop full of hands-on creative projects! Families are invited to join us with their big ideas, and build and share creative projects among the community. You’ll create your own whimsical gardens, flying spiders and butterflies, arcade games, a fashion runway show, magical worlds under the water, and more. We'll dream of a new theme every week, come up with cool ideas, and build it together.

This workshop series is a great combination of hands-on creativity, engineering, arts, and crafts, focused on family engagement and fun!

Register on Sawyer →

Service Learning with Corlears Teachers

Ages: 3–10
Time: 10–11:00 a.m.
Location: Seedlings Red (Room 111; First floor)

LPG schedule - service

 

At Corlears, our students grow into change-makers through a curriculum that encourages activism and compassion for others. Service learning is a key element of our school’s curriculum because we wholeheartedly believe that regular civic engagement – especially from a young age – goes further than one-off community service projects.

Every week, Corlears elementary students collaborate on a project tied to the 17 Global Goals, which are initiatives that world leaders agree “will build a greener, fairer, better world by 2030.” The children choose a goal they’re most passionate about and, together in mixed-age groups, commit to a semester-long, developmentally appropriate service learning project that creates an impact. It’s through this firsthand experience researching a cause, planning a project, taking action, and reflecting on impact that our students begin to see themselves as change agents who can truly make a difference in the world.

This year, we’re taking our school’s commitment beyond the classroom. Anyone who joins us for our free Saturday programming at Learn. Play. Grow. will have a chance to make a meaningful difference in this community we call home.

Arts For All

Ages: 4–6
Time: 10–11:00 a.m
Location: First grade (Room 311; Third floor)

LPG schedule - arts for all

 

Arts For All offers accessible artistic opportunities to children in the New York City area who face socioeconomic, physical, or emotional barriers to exploring the arts. Through Arts For All, professional artists work with youth organizations to build self-confidence, self-expression, teamwork, resilience, and creativity in children.

At each Arts For All session, children will take an artistic dive into that week's LPG theme through interactive storytelling, visual arts, music, and/or movement.

Register on Sawyer  →

Subscribe to Stay in the Know

Sign up to receive the Learn. Play. Grow. newsletter and be the first to know about new programming, special events, and more.

Making an Impact

Each year, we ask families to weigh in on the impact of Learn. Play. Grow. Here's what some of our LPG families had to say. 

"In The GIANT Room, I enjoyed how one staffer answered all the children’s questions but refrained doing the task for the child. She instead would ask, "How can you problem-solve?" This was a teaching moment even for me and I learned that kids are capable of handling tasks themselves. I started using this approach with my kids. So I even learned from The GIANT Room!"
"[Learn. Play. Grow.] opened my mind about what early childhood education should look like."
"[It was memorable] to see my child embrace new faces and a new environment. The staff made her feel so comfortable."
"This was really a tremendous experience for our children."

Make a Donation to Learn. Play. Grow.

LPG's mission of providing NYC families with free access to our facilities, programming, and early years expertise relies on the generous support of families like yours. Every dollar counts, and monthly giving in small amounts is available!

Corlears School is a public charity under Code Section 509 (a)(I) and exempt from federal income tax per Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. EIN # 13-5653140. No goods or services will be provided in consideration of this contribution. All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. 

Make a Donation

Programming Partners

Thank you to the partners, past and present, who have helped bring Learn. Play. Grow. to our growing community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question not answered by our FAQs? Email us at lpg@corlearsschool.org.
Does my child have to be a student or alumni of Corlears School to take part in programming?

Nope! We founded this initiative to promote greater access and equity in our Chelsea community and surrounding boroughs, especially as families have struggled to maintain children's academic growth and wellbeing during the continued COVID-19 crisis and beyond. All families are welcome.

How do I register to attend? Registration will be available on Sawyer, though we're not live for the 2022–23 year quite yet.
The activity I'm interested in is full. What do I do? If your activity of choice is booked up, add your child to the waitlist. And if you drop by LPG for another registered activity on that day, you could get lucky — if there are a lot of no-shows at your activity of choice, there might be enough room for you and your child. However, please be gentle with staffers if there isn't enough room — we do our best to accommodate as many families as possible inside our small school, and we need to be mindful of everyone's safety. 
How much does Learn. Play. Grow. cost? Programming is completely free. Donations are accepted, however, and will be used to fund future programming in addition to our Tuition Equity and Accessibility Model (TEAM).
Can I drop my child off at LPG? While not every activity requires parent participation, all parents and caregivers must remain on-site at Corlears School with their child(ren) during Learn. Play. Grow. 
I want to partner with Corlears School, either as a programming partner or as a corporate sponsor. How can I do that? Email us at lpg@corlearsschool.org and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you!

Connect with Admissions

Interested in enrolling your child at Corlears School? Connect with the team anytime at admissions@corlearsschool.org, or subscribe for more information about our school programs.