Early Learning Program.

The KairosPDX Early Learning Program celebrates Black identity and centers culturally-specific experiences that nurture a strong sense of self, belonging, and purpose. Through hands-on exploration, the arts, and meaningful relationships, children grow curiosity, creativity, and connection.

The curriculum that guides our learning experiences provides student-centered instruction, developmentally appropriate practices, and culturally responsive teaching that spans across intellectual, social-emotional, and physical domains.

Rooted in respect, responsibility, honesty, service, and excellence, our program fosters agency, community awareness, and lifelong habits for success.

Preschool for All: 

In partnership with Preschool for All, KairosPDX serves as a pilot site for Multnomah County’s Preschool for All program—offered at no cost to families. For the 2025–26 school year, eligible children must be 3 or 4 years old by September 1st, with a parent or legal guardian living in Multnomah County.

The lottery process begins each spring for the following school year, though we welcome applications year-round. Applications recieved after the lottery deadline will be reviewed and families will be contacted with next steps.

Enrollment in the Preschool, Early Learning Program at KairosPDX automatically leads to enrollment in the KairosPDX Learning Academy.

Preschool enrollment is currently open for the 2026-2027 school year.

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Creating Confident Creative and Compassionate Leaders

Our approach to teaching and learning is grounded in a strong image of children, a pedagogy of listening and relationships, and an intentionally designed learning environment. Inspired by Reggio Emilia, we believe children are capable, curious, and full of potential, and we create spaces that nurture exploration, creativity, and connection.

  • Children are competent, resourceful and creative with imagination and curiosity about the world around them. They come to school full of experience and wisdom in their natural approaches to make meaning of their lives.

  • No child lives or learns in isolation. A child is always in search of relationships. Children learn and become themselves through interaction and relationships with other people, ideas, objects and symbols.

  • Children make their thinking visible to us in many ways, including words, drawing, numbers, dance, painting, building, sculpture, shadow play, collage, drama, music and more. Children use many kinds of materials to discover and express what they understand, wonder, feel and imagine.

Strong Image of Children

  • Respectful agreements and boundaries support the need for physical and emotional safety as they are identified, discussed, practiced, and experienced within a culture of listening, dialogue, and exchange between children and adults. Teaching and learning are best supported within a system of reciprocal and respectful relationships among people, ideas, the natural and built worlds, age-appropriate academic content alongside the children’s abilities and emerging skills.

  • This is a learning community where children and adults collaborate as researchers to co-create experiences. They are engaged in continuous discussion, negotiation and dialogue. Teachers collect data and use this information to plan, prepare, provoke, assess and inform the community of the Early Learning Program’s practices and outcomes.

  • Careful attention is given to the collective work of children and adults by transcribing dialogue, capturing photographs and videos, and making visible the ideas of children in many media. Documentation informs children, teachers, and families of children’s learning strategies and socially constructed understandings.

Pedagogy of Listening & Relationships

Intentional Learning Environment

  • The intentional design and use of physical space encourages encounters, communication, and relationships. It informs children and adults about possibilities. There is order and beauty in the thoughtful arrangement of space, equipment and materials.

  • The well-designed use of space and organization of materials, routines, and curriculum are essential to the creation of this learning community, where the animating forces are respect, responsibility, honesty, service and excellence.

When we are given the opportunity to tell our own stories and to speak our truth, we can reshape how the world perceives us.

– Sarain Fox