A nurturing place for the awakening heart and developing brain.
Alaya provides a safe, enriching and joyful preschool environment for children 2 to 5 years of age located in the heart of Boulder.
For over forty-five years, Alaya has provided quality early childhood education in Boulder, Colorado.
We operate 3 classrooms (grouped by age) with full or half-day schedules; as well as 6 weeks of summer camp.
Alaya teachers delight in the opportunity to nurture and guide children in their becoming:
genuine, compassionate and curious;
joyful and connected in their relationships;
proud of the effort and discipline in their accomplishments;
and meeting challenges while exercising their minds and bodies.
“To say that this preschool is life changing is an understatement. It's the nurturing environment that all little ones deserve at this age.”
~ Madison Dimovio
(Alaya Parent)
“Alaya” is Sanskrit for “essence” or the “open unbiased expanse of mind.” Alaya Preschool was named by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939-1987), the founder of Naropa University and our school. In doing so, he signaled a guiding principle for how the school views our children and community. Our vision is for the children, parents, teachers, and staff of Alaya to be held and seen in the essence of who we are in this very moment: basic goodness.
Alaya’s Guiding Principles
Drawing from the wisdom of the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, in addition to other holistic education traditions and techniques, Alaya has developed and is guided by the following Principles of Practice. These principles express what happens here at Alaya – both in the classroom and in our administration. They provide a direction and purpose to our work, and even to our lives altogether. In summary, they are:
Genuine Relationships
Kindness
Respect for the child’s growth
No “problem children”
“Habitual vision of greatness”
Respect for the passion and style of the teacher
Non-competition
Cultivation of inquisitiveness
Accommodation of mistakes
Discipline of body, speech, and mind
No blame
Not afraid of sharp edges
Celebration
Basic Goodness
Sacred world
