Preschool to middle school Montessori based private school in Ithaca, NY.read more

I can't say enough good things about this wonderful place! Our daughter spent 8 years at EACMSI and…read moreit was a fantastic experience. She absolutely found her place in the community and developed as a caring and compassionate individual and as an artist. She was also extremely well prepared for a very rigorous high school experience. The integrated curriculum, trips, and community focus all come together to provide a well rounded and magical school experience.

Willow Glen has been an outstanding investment for our family. Our middle-school-aged daughter…read morefeels loved and encouraged each day, which is such a contrast to what I hear from other parents with students in the public schools. We have every confidence that she is being academically and personally challenged by teachers who genuinely love her and reinforce the things she is hearing at home.This will be our eighth year in the school community and we're so thankful for it.

My 3 year, now 4, loves it here. Staff is so friendly and welcoming. The kids learn great…read moreindependence skills! The outside area is amazing and we love the country setting. We are so happy we picked the robins nest. My son will be returning next year and we look forward to our daughters turn! :)

my son attended smart start from 4 to 16 months and we are only stopping because we are moving to…read moreanother state. They are super accommidating and allowed us to use cloth diapers and glass bottles. When we started my baby had a hard time napping and they did whatever they could to get him to nap, even having someone hold him for an hour long contact nap. My son LOVES Miss Kristen in the continuity room. It was so reassuring leaving him with people he cared for and I feel, truly cared for him.

I am so glad a preschool like Smart Start exists. It can be hard to find high-quality and…read moreaffordable childcare; it can be especially hard to find such care for infants. The staff in the infant room have all been warm, bright, creative, patient, and so awesome at responding to the ever-changing needs of our little girl. She had not been in daycare before--we had a sitter who came to our home--and they worked with us to help make the transition as easy on her as possible. And, as she has grown and developed, they have provided new activities to keep her engaged. (Shout out to Ms. Alyssa, Ms. Katie, Ms. Hillary!) Walking in, you frequently hear the joyful squeals and chatter of children in the older classrooms. The setting is great, too: big outdoor play areas, lots of grass and trees, and the kids get plenty of fresh air and exercise. I just can't say enough good things about our daughter's experience there. Ultimately, I knew we made the right choice enrolling her at Smart Start because, when I would come to pick her up, I'd peek in the window, or stand around the corner where she could not see me--and my girl always looked happy.

Ithaca College's swimming pool is gorgeous! It won a prestigious architecture award at its opening…read morein 2012. This pool is for Ithaca College students and sports, but they allow folks in the community to book swim time and they also rent out the pool for swim meets & water polo games.

At DIGIVATIONS@Cornell University, nature isn't a backdrop--it's the stage, the classroom, and the…read moreinspiration for every day's adventures. From the moment students arrive, they are immersed in the natural beauty of Ithaca's Finger Lakes region. Morning workshops often take place outdoors beside Beebe Lake, with its cascading waterfalls setting the tone for creativity and calm. Students write in journals beneath the trees of the Cornell Botanic Gardens, or design science experiments inspired by the micro-ecosystems in the Cascadilla Gorge Trail just steps away. Whether it's mythic storytelling on woodland paths, LARPing through sun-dappled fields, or pausing to reflect beside a quiet stream, campers learn to see nature as both a canvas for their imagination and a partner in their learning. Daily movement is grounded in nature too--campers hike, build temporary outdoor sets for performances, and observe the stars in open-sky astronomy sessions. At DIGIVATIONS, the natural world becomes part of the narrative--where Artemis might guide a quest through the woods, or a physics lesson unfolds in the arc of a skipping stone. Students leave with more than knowledge; they leave with a renewed relationship to the earth and their place in it.