An early childhood program the community deserves
We’ve made it our mission to make schools better – for both teachers and children. At Escuela Viva, we are dedicated to supporting teachers in developing their careers, ensuring they can provide our children with enriching and memorable learning experiences.
Our revolutionary approach has not gone unnoticed.
Escuela Viva has been featured prominently in:
We are Committed to Excellence In Early Childhood Education
Teaching Empathy
At the heart of our teaching lies the belief that empathy and understanding are just as crucial as academic knowledge.
Nurturing the Spirit
We believe in educating the whole child — mind, body, and soul — to foster a loving, compassionate generation.
The Reggio Emilia Approach
Our happy, creative, and compassionate community follows the Reggio Emilia Approach, recognizing children as capable persons with rights and voices.
Our founding story
Meet Our Founder
Escuela Viva began with a heartfelt dream — to fill education with love. Angie started this journey in her basement in July 2004, motivated by her desire to offer her daughter and other children a warm, embracing learning environment that truly understood their needs. This quest led her to embrace the Reggio Emilia philosophy, which views children as natural learners full of curiosity and potential.
From that modest beginning, Escuela Viva has grown into a community of schools built on the principles of love, respect, and creativity. Our story is one of passion and dedication, showing how a simple idea can flourish into a movement that touches the hearts and minds of many families.
Join our Escuela Viva family, where education is an act of love, and every child is cherished.
PRESCHOOL FOR ALL. It's an ambitious idea, and it's taking place right now in several American districts
-Matt Pearl
Through our dedicated efforts, Escuela Viva is actively contributing to this nationwide aspiration by ensuring that quality early childhood education is accessible, inclusive, and sustainable.
In the landscape of early childhood education in Multnomah county, the challenges are notable:
11,363
Number of families who can now benefit from early childhood education, breaking down financial barriers and expanding access
12%
The turnover rate among preschool teachers is high, with an average tenure of less than one year in many cases, reflecting the systemic issues of burnout and inadequate support
000
In 2023, a concerning number of preschools were forced to close their doors, highlighting the fragility of the early childhood education infrastructures
Escuela Viva presents a promising picture of progress and sustainability:
80+
Number of families who can now benefit from early childhood education, breaking down financial barriers and expanding access
20 Years
Our educators benefit from a supportive and nurturing environment, reflected in the average tenure exceeding the national norm, emphasizing stability and education
13%
Despite the challenges facing early childhood education, the demand for Escuela Viva’s approach is evident, with an ever growing waiting list of families eager to join the “Preschool for All” movement
At Escuela Viva, we’re not just part of the conversation — we’re leading the charge towards a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive from the start.
Through our dedicated efforts, Escuela Viva is actively contributing to this nationwide aspiration by ensuring that quality early childhood education is accessible, inclusive, and sustainable.
In the landscape of early childhood education, the challenges are notable:
11,363
Number of families who can now benefit from early childhood education, breaking down financial barriers and expanding access
12%
The turnover rate among preschool teachers is high, with an average tenure of less than one year in many cases, reflecting the systemic issues of burnout and inadequate support
000
In 2023, a concerning number of preschools were forced to close their doors, highlighting the fragility of the early childhood education infrastructures
Escuela Viva presents a promising picture of progress and sustainability:
80+
Number of families who can now benefit from early childhood education, breaking down financial barriers and expanding access
20 Years
Our educators benefit from a supportive and nurturing environment, reflected in the average tenure exceeding the national norm, emphasizing stability and education
13%
Despite the challenges facing early childhood education, the demand for Escuela Viva’s approach is evident, with an ever growing waiting list of families eager to join the “Preschool for All” movement
At Escuela Viva, we’re not just part of the conversation — we’re leading the charge towards a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive from the start.
Take a peek into our blueprint for the future, where sustainability isn't just a goal — it's a reality:
Centering Around the Teacher
Teachers are the soul of our classrooms, inspiring young minds with passion and creativity.
Mentoring Programs
We cultivate a culture of growth, where educators evolve through mentorship, reflecting our belief in lifelong learning.
New Schools
Escuela Viva is on the rise, with plans to spread our innovative approach to more communities, fostering environments where every child can thrive.
How Love Makes Our Schools Sustainable?
Cultivate Love and Learning at Escuela Viva
At Escuela Viva, love and empathy guide our journey. We’re searching for educators who share our passion for nurturing young minds with kindness, creativity, and a deep understanding of each child’s unique potential.
If you dream of teaching in an environment where every lesson is infused with love and every day brings a new opportunity to make a meaningful difference, we warmly invite you to join our dedicated team. Let’s together inspire a brighter future filled with joy and learning for all.
Positions Open
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Learn at Escuela Viva
Get ready for an extraordinary educational adventure with Escuela Viva!
Step into a place where education is woven with threads of love, curiosity, and boundless creativity — at Escuela Viva. We warmly invite you and your family to join us on an educational adventure that promises to nurture, inspire, and delight.
For Our Littlest Dreamers
Under 3 years old
Begin the extraordinary journey early with Escuela Viva! Given our heartfelt commitment to fostering young minds, spots fill quickly, leading to a waitlist. Discover the unique spirit of our schools and secure a place on the waitlist for your precious one. (We encourage you to reach out for details on whether our schools share a collective waitlist or maintain individual ones.)
For Our Growing Adventurers
Over 3 years
Ready for more? For children over three, the gateway to joining our vibrant community is through the “Preschool for All” initiative. Choose Escuela Viva to give your child the gift of a learning experience filled with joy, exploration, and personal growth. We invite you to contact us and arrange a visit, where you can witness firsthand the magic of learning at Escuela Viva.
At Escuela Viva, we don’t just teach — we journey with each child, crafting moments of wonder, discovery, and connection every step of the way. Let’s nurture the incredible potential within your child, together.
Escuela Viva in the Media
Reggio Emilia Pre-School
The educational philosophy born out of the ashes of World War II lacks the strictures of the typical North American classroom
Child-Care in Oregon
Director Angie Garcia, left, talks with students at Escuela Viva Community School’s Southeast Portland location, Oct. 26, 2023.
Multnomah County voters
The “preschool for all” ballot measure seeks to create a universal preschool system in Multnomah County, so that every 3- and 4-year-old can attend preschool tuition free.
Child care was already scarce in Oregon
Jen Scales was less than six months pregnant when she began looking for day care for her second son in 2017.
Oregon’s child care crunch
Child care is expensive and often hard to find. Providers are struggling with staffing shortages and limited space. But many are pushing for solutions that could help.
Preschool For All
It’s an ambitious idea, and it’s taking place right now in several American districts.
Podcast: Spotify
We explore the attitudes and policies that led to how things got so bad, talk to Angie Garcia, a childcare provider on the ground, and report on an exciting initiative in Portland, OR, that shows us how loca
oregonLive - the oregonian
Teacher Susana Montano works with a preschool student at Escuela Viva in Southeast Portland.
Elizabeth Miller / OPB
PRESCHOOL FOR ALL. It’s an ambitious idea, and it’s taking place right now in several American districts. In 2020 Multnomah County in Oregon
OPB 2024
Ada Perez, 4, investigates the insides of a pumpkin at Escuela Viva Community School’s Southeast Portland location, Oct. 26, 2023.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Explore the Educational Opportunities For Your Child
Other locations
Dive into our diverse and innovative learning environments that foster growth and creativity.
“To make a lovable school, industrious, inventive, liveable, documentable and communicable, a place of research, learning, re-cognition and reflection, where children, teachers and families feel well – is our point of arrival.”
– Loris Malaguzzi
