Alaya Preschool will lose its campus if it doesn’t raise $2.2 million by June

Alaya Preschool’s outdoor yards. There are three, connected by fences. Each yard is for a different age group class. Photos by Jackie Sedley. Taken on Sept. 16, 2024.

There’s this preschool in Boulder that does things a little bit differently – and has been since the ’70s.

It’s called Alaya, situated in a standard Boulder neighborhood over on 19th Street. The preschool sits on just over an acre of land with massive shading trees that were planted as far back as when the school was in its very early years.

Kasia Szewczyk is a local parent with two kids. One graduated from Alaya a few years ago, while the other is in her final year.

KGNU’s Jackie Sedley sat down with Szewczyk, as well as Cathy Lauderbaugh – another Alaya parent – to talk about what sets the school apart and why they believe the preschool is a shining example of what early childhood education should look like.

They also discussed their current fundraising efforts for Alaya. Naropa University owns the land that Alaya sits on and acts as their parent organization. That’s because the preschool was an integral part of the university’s now-discontinued Early Childhood Education Program.

Kiddos at Alaya Preschool on Sept. 16, 2024. Photo by Jackie Sedley.

Naropa has decided to sell the property. They’ve given the preschool through June, 2025 to raise $2.2 million to purchase the property for themselves. Otherwise, it will be sold on the open market.

Their upcoming “Save Alaya Preschool” fundraiser, which will take place this upcoming Sunday Sept. 22 at the Fox Theatre (beginning at 4 p.m.). Admission is free. You can RSVP, and find more details, at www.savealaya.org.

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