Poe-Co was founded in 1974 by a group of mothers who were seeking to start a program that involved a whole-family approach. They wanted to be involved and present in their child’s preschool education.

A mission was defined:

Poe-Co’s mission is to provide a developmentally appropriate nursery school program, which nurtures each child’s intellectual, physical, emotional, and social growth through thoughtfully designed centers of concurrent activities that provide children with a choice of learning opportunities and provide educators with ample teaching opportunities in our intimate classrooms.

With this mission statement in mind, Poe-Co’s director, teachers, and parents cooperate to create a wonderful, enriching environment during a child’s formative preschool years. We believe that childhood education involves the whole family. Our parents work together to help manage the school. We hire the teachers, enroll the children, take care of the finances, and perform all the behind-the-scenes tasks to keep the program strong and vital. About once a month (up to 10 times per school year), our parents serve as helpers in the classroom. These pre-scheduled parent helper days are your special mornings to spend with your child. Our parents also serve on the board or on committees (such as festivities, field trips, yearbook, playground maintenance) that help run the school and its activities. To help keep tuition costs down, parents participate in an annual fundraiser. Parents are always welcome in the classroom and we encourage parents to share their knowledge and talents. See Admissions / Parent Volunteer Requirements for additional information.