About Open Door School

Integrity,
Honesty,
Individuality,
Self-confidence,
and Wisdom:
The ingredients for a successful life
begin at a very early age.

— Sue Spayth Riley from
   “How to Generate Values in
    Young Children”

Open Door School, located in the Cotswold area, is a non-profit, non-sectarian preschool for children ages two to five. Open Door School follows a discovery learning philosophy from progressive education — the belief that learning, growing, and developing are natural, intuitive, and inevitable processes.  Open Door School strives to guard the dignity of each individual so that children feel free to explore, question, experiment and play. The School encourages children to work on resolving conflicts peacefully, to cooperate rather than compete, and to accept and honor the differences among us.

Founded in 1966, Open Door School is the first program in Charlotte–Mecklenburg to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC.)  Open Door has six half-day preschool classes ranging from age 2–5 and one full-day, year-round, multi-age class. 

We are a teaching school, with several staff being state-certified Model Mentor Educators. Student visitors and interns, please be sure to read this information before your first visit.

A Parent Shares...

Erin Bailey, a UUCC member and Open Door School parent, shares about her experience with the school. Read her story here.