History

School for Little Children of Evanston was founded in 1934 , as a  collaboration between the First Presbyterian Church and the National College of Education, at a time when the Great Depression prompted budget cutbacks for the education system.   Over the past 85 years, SLC has strived to meet the unique needs of the Evanston community through innovative programming and community partnerships.  A couple of examples include:

• In the 1970s, SLC led the field in the area of inclusive education by recruiting children with special needs, and hiring teaching assistants to support them in the classroom setting.  

• From 2000-2004, through a collaboration between First Presbyterian Church and First Church of God Christian Life Center, SLC expanded to include a full day, infant toddler program called School for Little Chidlren North. This initiative grew from the need to address the absence of high quality, affordable childcare for low income families in Evanston.   Although financial constraints contributed to the closing of SLC North, it remains a milestone that we are proud of.

Today,  diversity and inclusion remain at the core of the mission of SLC and contributes to the school’s strong reputation for quality, early childhood education experiences for children ages 2-5.