Our Programs

Programs Built Around Your Child

From the very first days of infancy to the confident leap into kindergarten — every stage is met with intentional, expert, joyful care.

What We Offer

Every Program, A Different Port of Call

Children don't develop on a single timeline or in a single direction. That's why each STEAM Boat Academy program is uniquely designed for the specific developmental realities, joys, and challenges of its age group. We meet your child exactly where they are — and help them discover where they're going.

Infant Program

6 Weeks – 18 Months  ·  Ratio 1:4
👶 Teacher-to-Child Ratio: 1:4

A Sensory-Rich Haven for Your Tiniest Explorer

The first eighteen months of life are a period of breathtaking neurological development. Trillions of neural connections are formed; the foundations of language, attachment, and trust are established. Our infant program is designed around this science — creating calm, beautiful, stimulating environments where every sense is gently awakened and every need is met with consistency and warmth.

Our infant educators form deep, attachment-based bonds with each child in their care. Primary caregiving assignments ensure that your baby has one consistent person who knows their rhythms, their preferences, their particular cries, and their moments of delight. This consistency isn't just comforting — it is neurologically essential.

From high-contrast visual art to soft music, from tummy time on natural fiber mats to sensory baskets filled with safe exploratory objects, every element of our infant rooms is chosen to support your baby's unfolding development with beauty and intention.

Program Features

  • Primary caregiver assignment for attachment continuity
  • Individualized schedules that honor each baby's natural rhythms
  • Sensory-rich classroom with natural materials
  • Daily outdoor time in our enclosed infant garden
  • Daily digital feeds including photos, meals, and nap logs
  • Developmental milestone tracking and family conferences
  • Baby sign language integrated into daily routines
  • Calm, low-stimulation nap environment
  • Music, movement, and read-aloud woven through every day
  • Breast milk and formula accommodation available

Toddler Program

18 – 36 Months  ·  Ratio 1:6
🧸 Teacher-to-Child Ratio: 1:6

A Safe Harbor for Big Feelings and Bold Ideas

Toddlerhood is one of the most exhilarating — and challenging — periods of human development. Language is exploding, independence is asserting itself with tremendous force, and emotions are enormous. Our toddler program is built to celebrate this bigness while providing the consistent structure and warm limits that help toddlers feel genuinely safe.

Our educators are trained in positive guidance strategies and emotional co-regulation. When a toddler melts down (as they are developmentally wired to do), our teachers respond with calm presence, empathy, and language that helps children begin to understand their inner world.

Toddler classrooms at STEAM Boat Academy are organized into interest areas: a block corner bursting with building possibilities, an art space stocked with paint and clay, a cozy book nook, a light table for sensory investigation, and a dramatic play area where children try on the world. Language is scaffolded into every activity, with educators narrating, labeling, and expanding on every moment.

Program Features

  • Language-rich environment with constant conversational scaffolding
  • Positive guidance rooted in respectful toddler discipline research
  • Daily outdoor large-motor play on age-appropriate equipment
  • Music, movement, and rhythm activities every morning
  • Process art exploration — the journey, not the product
  • Sign language and early literacy integration
  • Potty training partnership with families
  • Rest time with individualized sleep support
  • Sensory tables, light tables, and science explorations
  • Weekly family connection updates and milestone reports

Preschool

3 – 4 Years  ·  Ratio 1:8
🎨 Teacher-to-Child Ratio: 1:8

Where Questions Become Investigations

The preschool years are the golden age of curiosity. Three- and four-year-olds ask an astonishing number of questions, construct elaborate theories about the world, and are developmentally primed for their first deep social experiences. Our preschool program is built to harness all of this brilliance.

STEAM learning in our preschool looks like a child planting seeds and predicting what will grow. It looks like a group of four-year-olds building a ramp and figuring out why the ball rolls faster at different angles. It looks like a child standing at an easel, making a painting about a storm, and then dictating a story to go with it. Learning is integrated, joyful, and deeply meaningful.

Pre-literacy and early mathematical thinking are woven throughout the day without ever feeling like worksheets. Children develop phonemic awareness through songs, rhymes, and storytelling. They explore number sense through counting collections, sorting games, and pattern-making. The seeds of academic competence are planted in the richest possible soil.

Program Features

  • STEAM inquiry projects integrating all subject areas
  • Pre-literacy development: phonemic awareness, print concepts
  • Early mathematical thinking: number sense, patterns, measurement
  • Social-emotional learning curriculum (SEL)
  • Creative arts studio with weekly projects
  • Daily read-alouds and storytelling practice
  • Outdoor science investigations in our garden
  • Building and engineering with diverse construction materials
  • Collaborative problem-solving challenges
  • Detailed developmental portfolio reviewed at family conferences

Pre-K

4 – 5 Years  ·  Ratio 1:10
🚀 Teacher-to-Child Ratio: 1:10

Confident, Curious, and Ready for the World

Our Pre-K program is the capstone of the STEAM Boat Academy experience — a year of deepened inquiry, growing independence, and authentic kindergarten readiness built not on drilling but on developing. Children who graduate from our Pre-K don't just know their letters and numbers; they know how to think, collaborate, persist, and lead.

Project-based learning takes center stage in Pre-K. Children work in small groups over days or weeks on collaborative investigations — designing a model of their community, researching animals and building habitats, exploring the question of what makes something fair. These projects build every skill kindergarten teachers say matters most: executive function, academic vocabulary, collaborative problem-solving, and the habit of revision.

Kindergarten readiness is not a checklist — it is a state of confident, curious preparedness. STEAM Boat Academy Pre-K graduates enter kindergarten knowing who they are as learners, what it means to be a good friend and teammate, and how to face new challenges with resilience rather than fear. That is our greatest accomplishment.

Program Features

  • Project-based learning investigations over weeks
  • Advanced pre-literacy: letter writing, sight words, book making
  • Mathematical foundations: addition concepts, measurement, data
  • Executive function development woven into daily structure
  • Leadership roles and cooperative learning structures
  • Science experiments with documentation and hypothesis writing
  • Transition readiness support for families and children
  • Comprehensive school-readiness assessment portfolios
  • Community field study projects and family sharing events
  • Introduction to digital creation tools and responsible technology
Daily Rhythm

A Sample Day at STEAM Boat Academy

Structure without rigidity. Every day follows a predictable rhythm that gives children the security to take creative risks.

6:30 AM
Arrival & Morning Welcome
Warm greetings, sign-in rituals, and free choice exploration in morning invitation centers.
8:30 AM
Morning Meeting & Circle Time
Community gathering: calendar, morning message, read-aloud, and the day's inquiry question introduced.
9:00 AM
Morning Snack & Literacy Rotation
Small group literacy activities while children enjoy a nutritious snack together.
9:30 AM
STEAM Exploration Time
Extended choice time in discovery centers: science table, art studio, building area, dramatic play, and outdoor garden.
11:00 AM
Outdoor Large Motor Play
Active, joyful outdoor time on age-appropriate equipment, nature explorations, and cooperative games.
11:45 AM
Lunch & Community Table
Shared family-style lunch: a time for conversation, independence, and community building.
12:30 PM
Rest & Quiet Time
Nap for younger children; quiet reading, journaling, or puzzles for older children who have transitioned.
2:30 PM
Afternoon Snack & STEAM Project Work
Continuation of ongoing inquiry projects; small group investigations; math games and pattern work.
4:00 PM
Creative Arts & Free Play
Music, movement, art exploration, and relaxed child-led free play as the afternoon settles.
6:00 PM
End-of-Day Departure
Warm farewells, daily update shared with family, and tomorrow's adventure teased.
Ready to Enroll?

Find the Perfect Program for Your Child

Our admissions team is ready to help you find the right fit. Begin with a tour — and see STEAM Boat Academy come alive.

Apply Now Schedule a Tour