About Us

Our Mission

Families Together Cooperative Nursery School provides a play-based educational environment in which children thrive and parents are integral to the life of the school. At our core is a commitment to diversity and equity, genuine collaboration between educators, families and children, and a creative and flexible approach to supporting each child’s cognitive, social and emotional growth.

Our Vision

FTCNS, a cooperative preschool on Chicago’s north side, will be highly regarded as a unique educational program recognized for excellence in:

Providing a joyful early school experience for young children in a welcoming, dedicated facility near a playground or large, outdoor space.
Offering young children a play‐based experience based on an emergent curriculum developed in response to the children’s needs and interests.
Operating as a well‐run cooperative in which a close‐knit, diverse community of engaged parents work collaboratively to ensure smooth daily operations by actively participating in school governance, volunteering in the classroom, and contributing to school fundraising efforts.
Demonstrating a deep commitment to diversity and equity through intentional educational practices and hiring, admissions, and financial policies that welcome families from a variety of socio‐economic, ethnic, cultural, religious and family backgrounds.
Providing an affordable, high‐quality education through sliding scale tuition, financial aid, and school-wide fundraising efforts.
Supporting parents of young children by providing informative, engaging parent education activities and materials.
Integrating environmentally sustainable practices and healthy food options into daily school activities and operations.
Promoting professional growth for the school’s staff by providing funds that support their individual and group development plans.

Brief History

The school that would eventually become Families Together Cooperative Nursery School (FTCNS) began more than 30 years ago in Evanston, when a community parent/tot playgroup decided to take steps to become a formal cooperative school. The group had a deep desire to be involved in their children’s education and became licensed as the Evanston Cooperative Nursery School (ECNS).

In the late 1990s, due to building issues, ECNS needed a new home. At this time, parents from Immanuel Lutheran Church’s parent/tot program in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, known as the “Together Program”, wanted to start a cooperative nursery school to be housed at Immanuel Lutheran. Michelle Knapp, the Together Program founder, suggested the group’s parents observe other area co-ops to find a strong model. One parent observed ECNS and learned it was looking for a new home in either Evanston or Chicago. After a search in both cities, the ECNS Board chose Immanuel Lutheran as the new home for its co-op.

In September 1999 Families Together Cooperative Nursery School opened at Immanuel Lutheran as a licensed nursery school offering a Mixed Age program. By 2001, due to parent demand, FTCNS had expanded to offer a Nursery program and a Pre-K program. A Young 3’s program was added in 2004.

Today our school serves 90 students a year in its five classes. We are a proud, engaged, collaborative community. Families Together Cooperative Nursery School is children, parents and teachers together...learning about and from one another.