For more than a quarter of a century, Wyandotte Nation’s nationally recognized program has been serving tribal and non-tribal children alike. The preschool is open year-round (including many school holidays) and the program is always open to parents who want to join in.
“The most important thing I found is it’s an actual school,” says parent Brad Abell. “It’s not just a daycare. My kid learns something new every day and he’s excited to come home and tell me about it.”
The Wyandotte Nation tribe provides support for the preschool that includes school supplies for all of the children, plus meeting other needs that may arise. Classroom curriculum is individualized and dependent on the child and their skill level at the time. Whereas one child may still be learning how to hold a pencil, another may be learning how to write their name. 
At the beginning of one school year, the preschool provided 500 backpacks with school supplies to anyone that came out – it wasn’t limited to just the program’s students. 
The Wyandotte Nation Preschool Program remains open year-round — including most school holidays and Christmas break — to accommodate families needing child-care services. 
Classroom curriculum is individualized and dependent on the child and their skill level at the time. Whereas one child may still be learning how to hold a pencil, another may be learning how to write their name. 
The focus at Wyandotte is on developing the whole child and it includes areas like teaching them how to communicate with others, how to make friends and how to be a friend.
The Wyandotte Nation Preschool was an early national model for preschools and was ranked the nation’s best in the mid-1990’s. Today, their focus on developing the whole child continues to appeal to families.
The preschool draws students from neighboring communities such as Fairland, Grove, Miami and Afton, and even Joplin and Seneca, Missouri. “That speaks very highly of our program, the teachers and the staff that we have built here,” notes Lindsay Cooper.
Best of all, everyone is welcome at the preschool. Cooper estimates that on average, 50% of the children attending the program are non-tribal. “There’s no differentiator here as far as ‘this is a tribal kid and this is a non-tribal kid,’” adds Abell. “They’re just kids that go here.”
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