Inspiring Conversations with Elizabeth Burns of West Marietta Cooperative Preschool

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Burns

elizabeth, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Elizabeth Abdinoor Burns and my interest in early childhood stems from my own childhood which was spent playing outside with neighborhood kids, creeks, pastures, lakes and lots of time in the woods.
After high school, I was accepted to UGA and received my undergrad in early child development and my masters in Education.

The passion for teaching children came from my first job out of college. I started with a chain childcare center “teaching” 4 year olds and honestly was struck by how boring it was. I thought, playing with kids should be creative and fun. They should be outside running and climbing and getting messy with mud and paint and glue.
I introduced water, mud, paint and messes which was opposite of the program expectations, but I saw the kids thriving. I moved my class outside, I took materials outside and I saw 1st hand how the children were learning and playing and finally loving preschool!

I quickly realized that there must be a different approach and I had a bigger purpose. I left childcare and started my career mentoring and training other early childhood teachers. I worked with a government agency that helped childcare programs become accredited, I was a resource coordinator for the Ga-Pre K program in its first years and I also worked for the state licensing agency where my responsibility was to license childcare centers. I consulted and help providers open childcare programs for several years both as a state consultant and a private consultant.

I never intended to operate a childcare program, however as a consultant, I had the opportunity to tour childcare centers all over the state. In-home, groups, corporate centers, private centers, rural, urban and then I found a Reggio inspired center. That experience blew me away.

THIS is what preschool should be, child led, an environment that encourages and inspires nature, play, building, embracing sensory exploration and fine arts, the kids engage and interact in so many creative ways which offer us the chance to create beautiful documentation to explain what kids are learning.

With a strong passion to offer a more nature focused, play based learning environment to the childcare industry, I opened West Marietta Cooperative Preschool in January 2015 in a little bungalow off the Marietta Square.

All of my Reggio knowledge was infused into WMCP and before I knew it, I was loving my new career. So 9 years later we are thriving with a 2nd building, an art studio, a gym for dance and yoga, a creative child-led outdoor space, a library and this year we added Imagination Station, a STEM lab.

My team and myself love what we do and we enjoy the creativity we can provide to these kids and their families.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s actually been pretty smooth. We’ve provided a service that families love
But
I think overall there’s barriers to any business. Getting start up capital and a SBA loan initially was a learning process and being a Childcare program came with its own barriers as we had to meet additional State and county regulations.

As you know, we’re big fans of West Marietta Cooperative Preschool . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a small Reggio inspired preschool located at the Marietta Square.
We provide a nature preschool with a Reggio inspired setting heavy on fine arts and child-led emergent learning.
I am most proud of changing the industry and partnering with other nature based preschools. Although we are licensed by the same agency that over sees all childcare programs, we have stayed true to our nature roots, providing hours of outdoor time. I think we have truly and honestly shown that learning doesn’t occur in a box directed by adults.
We have been voted in the Best of Cobb for 2024, 23, 22, and 21

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I was born and raised in Smyrna so Atlanta and its surrounding suburbs are my home. I love everything about this town! Restaurants, family friendly communities, parks and green space and the neighborhoods flowing with diversity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.westmcp.com
• Instagram: WestMCP
• Facebook: West Marietta Cooperative

Image Credits
Westmcp