Bringing Caroline Pratt’s living vision of progressive education to all!
About The Caroline Pratt Center for Progressive Education
The Caroline Pratt Center (CPC) offers workshops, collaborative working groups, immersive institutes and materials to support progressive educators, schools and school systems.
Drawing on over 100 years of progressive education practices and philosophy, we propel progressive education into the future. We start with the understanding that children are born naturally curious about the world. We support educators in all contexts to draw upon and extend that curiosity in support of all that children need to learn.
What is Progressive Education?
Progressive education centers children's natural curiosity and supports their construction of academic learning through meaningful experiences.
It respects children and their interests, promotes hands-on social learning, and focuses on the whole child.
This approach nurtures belonging, values the process of learning over grades, integrates subjects, and fosters social justice while balancing group versus Individual needs— all in service of democratic participation.
Our Mission
The Caroline Pratt Center builds upon Caroline Pratt’s visionary work in progressive education. Our mission includes preserving and promoting the rich history, philosophy, and methodologies of progressive education across all educational spheres.
By developing materials, organizing workshops, and offering diverse learning experiences that draw from historical and contemporary practices, we actively support and propel progressive education into the future.
Our Leadership
Caroline Pratt Center’s leadership team is committed to expanding access to progressive education’s philosophy and practice, past, present and future to serve children in all educational contexts.
Who is Caroline Pratt?
Caroline Pratt (1867 – 1954) was an American social thinker and progressive educational reformer whose ideas remain influential in educational reform, policy, and practice. Pratt is known as the founder of City and Country School, the inventor of unit blocks, and as the author of I Learn from Children.