Community Connections

Alya Stoffer Koloszyc is the founder and director of New Village Preschool in Northampton, MA. Excerpts from Alya's appearance on the author's podcast in 2021 are included in this chapter in which she discusses how community is central to the work being done at New Village and how the preschool's families and partners are integral to its success and growth. Alya shares examples of how New Village offers programming for students' parents and families, increasing understanding about difficult topics and issues as families navigate these contemporary times. Finally, she details how the physical location of New Village has been vital to its growth and effectiveness as students engage in learning embedded in outdoor and agricultural contexts.