Open Door Preschools

Mission Statement: To provide a quality, inclusive preschool program to students of diverse abilities and backgrounds in a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment that promotes respect and acceptance.

Description:
Open Door operates two preschools, one in East Austin and the other in Clarksville. Approximately 25% of our children have special needs, ranging from physical disabilities to severe at-risk factors. The socioeconomic diversity at Open Door makes it even more unique, as 37% of our students come from low-income families. Our families recognize a child-centered program with a pioneering curriculum that addresses the needs of the whole child.

History:
Open Door was founded in 1975 by a young Austin couple who searched in vain for an early childhood education program for their preschool aged daughter and their two-year-old son with Down syndrome. They were determined to enroll their children in the same program, but were repeatedly rejected on account of their son’s disability. Finding it unacceptable that so many programs would either segregate or refuse to enroll children with special needs, they created Open Door Preschool as a non-profit organization to serve the needs of all Austin’s families.

Contact person: Dominique Comeaux, Development Manager, (512) 481-0775, (email)

Office fax number: (512) 481-0808

Address:

3804 Cherrywood Road Austin, TX 78722 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.opendoorpreschool.org

Directions:

_______________________________________________________________ Central School: 1717 W. 10th Street, Austin, TX 78703 From IH-35 turn onto 15th Street, turn Left on Enfield Rd, and then turn Right on 10th Street. The school is on the Left. _______________________________________________________________ East School & Administration: 3804. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: East: 21 Exposition or 320 St. Johns; Central: Route 22 Chicon,   Walk distance (in minutes): East: < 1 min; Central: 3-5 min. For maps or information, please see http://www.capmetro.org/riding/trip_info.asp

Last updated on July 9, 2009