The Kids' Place - Walla Walla

Our school is based in Walla Walla, we are a small community that encourages children to develop healthy relationships and to become active agents in their own education. We provide a climate for growth in which children have opportunities through play and real work to explore their ideas and realize their capacities. Led by the Reggio Emilia method of teaching, children at Kids' Place are immerse

d in an environment dense with potential that promotes literacy, numeracy, problem-solving collaboration, and respect. Responding to a clear and pressing need in their community, employees of Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA started The Kids’ Place in 1985, establishing the school as a tax exempt non-profit organization. They began with a gift of $140 donated by the University Women’s Organization to pay the zoning fee. A yard sale garnered $110 allowing us to purchase used furniture and blocks. An alumni donor paid for the back fence and community grants contributed funds for playground equipment. Most importantly, volunteers and staff donated countless hours preparing the building Whitman College agreed to provide at a very low cost to be licensed by Washington State Department of Early Learning. As the years of success and struggle rolled on, it is this volunteer contribution which has made a significant impact not only for our facility and daily operations but also in making us a stronger, more pertinent organization. Today, the Kids Place serves 45 children between the ages of 18 months and five years in its original space, with a waiting list of nearly two children for every student enrolled.