Origins is dedicated to the whole child; mind, body and spirit.
First and foremost, we acknowledge that we are operating on the aboriginal territories of the Salish “Sqelix w”, Kootenai "Ktunaxa", and Kalispel “Ql'ispé” people and we honor the path they have always shown us in caring for this place for the generations to come..
Origins Education is Missoula’s premiere Nature Based Preschool! We are an Early Childhood Education program dedicated to providing the highest quality experience for children from when they are potty trained until they are ready to enter grade school. We offer a one-of-a-kind curriculum for our two Preschools that is a true Kindergarten Readiness program. We realize that no two children are alike and their learning styles and needs are as individual as they are. We blend a rich mixture of proven early-learning philosophies with our sustainability based eco-literacy foundation that together, create a completely unique and tailor-made curriculum for your child’s specific needs.
Our focus on healthy social emotional guidance and mindfulness sets us apart. We practice daily meditation, experience movement therapy such as yoga and stretching, as well as calming modalities like Tibetan Bowl sound healing and EFT.
“When we teach mindfulness to children, we are sharing with them skillful ways of relating to life’s uncomfortable and challenging moments. The earlier we do so in their young lives, the greater the opportunity to help them cultivate resilience and develop and refine their mindfulness practice as they mature. Mindfulness is a powerful tool that supports children in calming themselves, focusing their attention, and interacting effectively with others, all critical skills for functioning well in school and in life.”
Our belief that repeated and prolonged exposure to nature and the outdoors is one the most powerful tools in helping to foster creative and happy learning. Origins is a National Wildlife Federation Eco-School* that not only operates in a sustainable manner socially and environmentally, but we teach young children the basic tenants of sustainability and instill a deep respect for the earth and all its inhabitants.
“Eco-School’s greatest achievement is arguably the fact that it produces generation after generation of sustainably minded, environmentally conscious people. These individuals will carry the behavioral patterns they uptake under the auspices of Eco-Schools with them through life, in turn teaching the next generation the habits to make a difference.”
Origins also understands that quality nutrition is an essential building block in a young child’s development, both physically and mentally. Food and nutrition have an essential role in children’s achievement at all stages of education. Origins serves organic foods and believes in the farm-to-table ideal. We hand-make all our baby food from fresh, organic produce. We participate in community gardens as well as cultivating our own garden and we do the majority of our shopping at locally owned grocery stores, making a point to purchase as much local meats and produce as possible. We serve eggs that come from cage-free chickens, meats that are hormone and antibiotic free and produce grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides and we work with families who choose alternative diets.