As parents to young children, Dr. April Poindexter and Anna Sauafea wanted to create the school they imagined for their own children. The result was Everwild Preschool. Much more than “daycare,” they see Everwild as a nurturing community that honors the wonder of childhood.
“Children deserve thoughtful, intentional learning environments that spark rich experiences,” Poindexter said. “We want learning to be exciting, joyful, and invite children to think both critically and creatively.”
Self-described millennials, April and Anna reflect on their own childhoods as ones filled with messy play, make-believe, and the freedom to be inventive and in charge of their own play. Today, they view those experiences as the bridge to skill sets like resourcefulness, creativity, problem-solving and people-skills that have helped them achieve success in their careers and in raising their families.
Early childhood education that is built on a foundation of play, plus nature, plus creativity led April and Anna to embrace a Reggio-Emilia inspired approach. “We love that the Reggio philosophy positions children as competent and capable, acknowledging that children are naturally curious and full of wonder,” Sauafea said. “It reminded us of our own childhoods.”
April and Anna consider Everwild to be a “micro” preschool with a campus hosting a total of six classrooms. “We want to build a relationship with each one of our families and a smaller space allows us to do that,” Sauafea said.
Everwild Preschool is currently enrolling children from 12 months of age through pre-Kindergarten as they prepare to welcome families this fall.
Everwild Preschool is located at 1823 Tiny Town Road. For more, call 931-322-4660, visit the Everwild Preschool website, or visit them on Facebook or on Instagram.