Nurturing each child towards independence, a love of learning, and respect with responsibility to others and the Earth, we enjoy our learning community together. 

Located near the hills of the Los Padres National Forest we basque in a large and natural playground with beautiful mountain views. We have fruit trees, a child planted garden, enormous sand box (often with kid made small rivers running through it), fabric curtains blowing in the breeze of the play house, a large covered area for outdoor art and padded flooring for active play. This place is a child's sacred space to dream, play, create and become who they truly are.

Since 1955, OVCNS has been the only parent-owned and operated cooperative nursery school in the Ojai Valley. Our guiding principle is that strong families and parent-child relationships grow where there is an opportunity for parents to participate in the preschool experience. While our Director and teachers  are trained and credentialed professionals, the administrators, maintenance crew, classroom assistants and fundraising/publicity staff are all parent volunteers. Not only does this type of system keep our tuition lower, it is a wonderful way for families to grow close by spending time working and playing together, and being a central part of their child's early educational experience.

A central component to our program is its focus on supporting children as they learn about their relationships with others. Parents and teachers work together as children build social skills, experience empathy, and learn to resolve conflicts peacefully. To help parents participate in this way of interacting effectively and respectfully with children, we provide a number of free, monthly parent education sessions, both during your child's class time and in the evenings, with parent education specialists. Here, parents are given the opportunity to learn and explore ways of parenting and communicating that promote respect for children's ideas and abilities.