Campaign video thumbnail - Corlears students

A TRANSFORMATIONAL VISION

The Corlears 50th Anniversary Campaign

What makes Corlears School so special? Press play to hear directly from our community.

2024 Update: We Did It!

In 2018, Corlears celebrated its 50th anniversary. In honor of this significant milestone, we embarked on a $4M Campaign, the first phase of our broader vision to raise $10M to support our students and families.

Thanks to the philanthropic support of our community, we have achieved our $4M goal. Thank you for your incredible generosity.

The success of this Campaign further cements Corlears as an innovative and visionary leader in early childhood education. Thanks to community support over the last five years, Corlears has made significant advancements in our strategic priorities outlined below.

Corlears School has a saying our students and alumni know well: "Our roots go down."

It means that no matter where our students go in life, they’ll always find themselves connected to the learning, values, and community developed during their time at Corlears.

In 2018, Corlears celebrated its 50th anniversary — an exciting time not only for the school, but also for our exceptional community of students, parents, alumni, and supporters.

In honor of this significant milestone, Corlears School embarked on a 5-year, $4 million campaign that goes beyond our physical structure; this campaign is focused on our heart. Over the past five years, Corlears has been building a truly innovative and transformational vision that is growing a new model for what a private school made just for young children can be.

Brandon WeberBoard Chair & Campaign Co-Chair

"When I look at my twin 7th graders today I see Corlears reflected in them. They respect and love learning and they are grounded and empathetic. They continue to thrive in their new school; we will be forever grateful to Corlears and we are proud to support it."

Pearl MagoBoard Member & Campaign Co-Chair

"I see Corlears as a hidden gem. Our experience has demonstrated that Corlears' holistic education helps children build a strong intellectual foundation and teaches them to advocate for themselves and others in their community. The Corlears campaign will make sure that the school continues to nourish and nurture students' minds and instill in them the importance of empathy and kindness."

Corlears School's founding director, Irene Neurath, had a vision for an inclusive, collaborative, creative early childhood institution. In 1968, together with a group of committed parents and educators, she opened a small nursery school that came to be Corlears. We're proud to say all these years later, we are still true to our roots as a school made just for young children.

Today, as we continue to flourish and push the boundaries, our $4 million campaign is the key to unlocking the potential of this groundbreaking vision.

FOCUS 1

Establish Corlears as the Leader in Early Years Education

This focus ensures that Corlears establishes its leadership in early years education by investing in the people and program of Corlears, especially our math, social justice, and social and emotional learning programs.

Invest in our faculty and staff. Protect and enhance our competitive salaries and benefits, regardless of an unstable economy or enrollment, and support our program leadership roles, and create platforms for our faculty to share their expertise.
Grow our program. Enhance our developmental approach to math, social justice, and social emotional learning that supports a diverse community through staffing, leadership, and extraordinary professional development opportunities.
Enhance our facilities. Invest in financing and capital improvements that support our growing program and ensure that our building is meeting the developmental needs of our students.

Ariel laughing with one of her Roots students

FOCUS 2

Create a Truly Diverse School

Creating a truly diverse school requires securing our innovative Tuition Equity and Accessibility Model (TEAM). The campaign has launched the Tuition Equity Fund to support its implementation. Alongside the Tuition Equity Fund, resources will be directed to school partnerships and community relationships aligned with Corlears' vision.

Establish the Tuition Equity Fund. Seed the Tuition Equity Fund to serve as a support to maintain our vision for socio-economic diversity with 50% of students paying significantly less than maximum tuition.
Create a network of partnerships. Enhance our middle school partnership approach, and build partnerships with preschools and Head Start programs across NYC to fuel a vibrant enrollment profile like no other independent school in NYC.
Advance the Learn. Play. Grow. initiative. Continue utilizing the LPG community center and explore other community based programming to expand Corlears’ ability to reach, support, and engage with its community.

Create a competitive and equitable faculty salary scale
Invest in professional development to build our faculty and staff expertise, especially in social justice and math
Hire and implement Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Math Coach roles
Establish the Tuition Equity and Accessibility Model (TEAM), changing the paradigm of financial aid to equitable level setting

Build the middle school enrollment transfer partnership with The Calhoun School
Launch the Learn. Play. Grow. Community Center (LPG), offering monthly free community based programming
Invest in marketing infrastructure, including the hiring of a Director of Marketing
Complete required refinancing of the school's mortgage

“The Corlears community is a collective foundation for the young children we nurture, guide, and challenge as we learn, play, and grow together. Our approach to teaching and learning is integrated with a thoughtfully designed facility, a staff that works explicitly towards child-centered goals, and a leadership and governance team with a deep commitment to creating that foundation in an equitable and inclusive environment. As children graduate and move on to the school that they have selected, they do so as emerging leaders, ready to make a difference.”

David EgolfHead of School

Now, we’re asking our full community to partner with us to raise the remaining dollars needed to foster this vibrant, truly diverse school community. Will you join us to reach our $4 million goal?

Corlears relies on the philanthropic support of its current and alumni families to achieve its vision of a child-centered learning community built on a firm commitment to inclusion and innovation. Gifts raised for the campaign go beyond annual fundraising and provide meaningful commitments funding the school's strategic investments for the future.