Edgewood Cooperative Nursery School records
Scope and Contents
This collection contains a very complete set of records (1961 - 2007) pertaining to the operation of a cooperative preschool. These records include Board of Directors minutes and other correspondence, committee materials, parent handbooks, history description, job information, publications, rosters, surveys, and information on their website.
The publications include advertisements, brochures, and newsletters (1962 - 2005). The surveys include data on surrounding area preschools and nursery schools (1975 - 1985) and surveys conducted for obtaining feedback from the member parents (1985 - 2006). Other records included are materials from affiliated organizations (Central Michigan Council of Cooperative Preschools, Michigan 4C Association, Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children, Michigan Council of Cooperative Nursery Schools, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children), photographs, and computer media.
Dates
- Creation: 1961 - 2007
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.
Historical Note
The Edgewood Cooperative Nursery School formed in 1960 at the Edgewood United Church of Christ in East Lansing, Michigan. The program originated with some of the church women looking for a place to gather with other mothers and children. This soon grew into the idea for a cooperative nursery school where children and parents learn together. It was a play-based nursery school, the philosophy being that play is a child's work and were encouraged to explore and to develop in an atmosphere of acceptance, trust, and love.
The school originally opened to church members only but in 1962, in an effort to increase enrollment, it opened to the public. The school remained sponsored by the church but independent in its operation. The program was accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and a winner of the Governor's Quality Care Award in 1999. In 2007, the church decided to end its affiliation with the school and reclaim their classroom space. The loss of the classroom space, the retirement of the director, and declining enrollment in cooperative programs caused the school to close that year after 47 years of preschool education in East Lansing.
Extent
3 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arrangement is by subject and alphabetical.
Immediate Source of Acquisiton
Eric Alstrom, East Lansing, Gift, HC 01057, 3,cu. ft.
Legal Status
Copyright: Michigan State University Property Rights: Michigan State University
Subject
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (Organization)
- United Church of Christ (Organization)
- Title
- Edgewood Cooperative Nursery School Records
- Status
- 4 Published And Cataloged
- Author
- E. Busch
- Date
- October 2008
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu