Oswego Playschool

Founded by a group of forward-thinking parents committed to creating a cooperative school, Oswego Playschool shared space in a church for the first two years of operation, opening its doors to 20 wide-eyed youngsters in 1953.

By 1955, the growing enrollment made it obvious that a permanent home for the school was needed and in the summer of that year charter members John and Betty Gray donated the lot and materials to construct a new facility - from the ground up. Designed by noted Northwest architect Van Evera Bailey with the needs of a child in mind, all construction was done by the parents of the school.

Because the building and grounds were designed as a preschool from the start, Oswego Playschool includes built-in features and play apparatus unique to the area's preschools. In addition, the hundreds of toys and teaching aids accumulated through sixty years of play have become a priceless learning resource benefiting Oswego Playschool children to this day. Oswego Playschool is still one of the few cooperative preschools in Oregon that own their own facility, and the benefits are bountiful.

Oswego Playschool is a member of Parent Child Preschools of Oregon (PCPO), an organization consisting of approximately 60 parent cooperative preschools in Oregon. They provide parent education, family enrichment programs, training for school officers, teacher programs, and act as a resource for cooperative preschools.