Explorer Preschool is proud of its long and rich history within the San Jose community. It continues to welcome new children, as well as, children of Explorer alumni from the local neighborhood and beyond. Explorer’s experienced teaching staff regularly includes former Explorer parents who continue to uphold the beloved traditions initiated over 60+ years ago when our school opened.
On April 26, 1960, Explorer opened its doors, welcoming its first group of families into two bare rooms and a large weeded outdoor area. With big ideas but an initial budget of $0, our school started from humble beginnings to become the magical place we know it today. Kathi (Murry) Levin provided Explorer, then Cambrian Parent Preschool, with her leadership as director and teacher and remained on staff until 1977.
Bev Tucker joined the staff and worked with Kathi until 1977. Explorer’s program continued to grow with the addition of a class for two-year-olds created by Konne Ainsworth.
Konne became Explorer’s Director and guided the school forward until her retirement in 2020. During her long and illustrious tenure, our current class offerings were further developed and the school was shaped into the wonderful and rich program it is today.
Konne Ainsworth and Bobbie (Ingram) Burri created the afternoon Pre-K program for students who had completed the Mon/Wed/Fri class but were not yet old enough for Kindergarten. The beloved outdoor program at Vasona County Park began to provide the children with a unique nature experience. The first class had just 12 children enrolled and years later with a larger group of students, the same spirit of discovery and excitement still fills each class.
Our school moved from the Cambrian neighborhood of San Jose to a new location on Branham Lane.
After coming together as a board, we became Explorer Preschool and with that got a new logo that we know today. Both capture the special community, ideals, and philosophy of our school for both children and their adult caretakers. Although our school has moved locations, developed different play yards and changed its name, Explorer has always had the community support and excellent programs which continue to thrive today.
Explorer moved to a new location on Union Avenue.
We became one of the first parent participation schools in our area to receive National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation, and have held our accreditation continuously since then.
We moved again, to our current location on Booksin Avenue, where we commenced building a new outdoor classroom that was dedicated in April 2004.
Konne Ainsworth retired, after serving as a teacher and Explorer’s director for 43 year.
Teacher Annie Deckert became our new director after being a teacher for 25 years and a parent prior to that. In her first few years, she successfully navigated the school through the COVID-19 pandemic.
After years of fundraising and a capital campaign, our playground was remodeled to include a new play structure, musical garden, water features, and sensory foliage.
Although our school has moved locations, developed different play environments and changed its name, Explorer has always been a place of community; a place where children learn through curiosity and play; and where parents gain skills and knowledge to grow in their parenting journey.
Our school is part of a regional network of 14 co-op nursery schools known as the Santa Clara Valley Council of Parent Participation Preschools (SCVC). SCVC is part of a larger community of sister schools called the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools (CCPPNS). The goal of CCPPNS is to be a community of parents and educators committed to teaching and inspiring families through parent involvement and mutual support.
