Welcome to Redmond Toddler Group Parent Education Cooperative (affectionately known as Toby School after our mascot, Toby the koala bear)! Our program is a wonderful learning experience that you and your child will treasure together for many years to come.
Our program is a non-profit organization sponsored by Lake Washington Institute of Technology’s Parent Education Department (LWTech). We offer support and in class parenting education for parents while providing enriching and age appropriate playtime for children. Structured activities include interactive circle time, show and tell and fun art activities to help strengthen motor development. Furthermore, we provide opportunities for parents to connect and build strong relationships with other parents. Examples include evening parenting classes and family events such as hikes and carnival. Come and join in on the family fun!
Photo credit: Megan Mehlum Photograph
Redmond Toddler Group’s Mission
- To provide parent education to parents of infants and toddlers, enabling them to understand and respond to their child’s needs
- To encourage group discussion of parenting topics that support parents and provides them with current information
- To help families connect with resources in the community
- To provide an enriching environment and activities for children
What is a parent education cooperative program?
A cooperative program combines education and practical hands on experience. Our weekly classes involve a parent education class component where our teachers discuss and educate parents on age appropriate topics which may include nutrition, sleep or potty training. Half of the parents will attend these sessions, while the other half watches the toddlers in specific areas of the classroom. Parents gain work experience by interacting with the toddlers. Examples would be showing a group of children how to roll a ball with play dough or resolving conflict between children fighting over a toy. Parents work together and share rotating classroom responsibilities such as cleaning up the classroom, providing snacks or donating school supplies. Our program becomes a fun and loving community when parents join in and work together.
Classes offered at Redmond Toddler Group
We offer different sets of classes:
- Pre-Toddler (4-15 months)
- Toddler (12-23 months, 21-27 months, and 24-36 months)
- Family (12-36 months)
Each class focuses on specific needs for parents and children. In our infant classes, parent education is in the same room so you can stay close to your little one. In our toddler classes, parent education is in a room off the play area so that children can start to gain independence.
Enrichment
Our classroom library offers hundreds of books and videos which include parent-education and children’s titles. Addition, there may be opportunities to hear from top-rated speakers from around the Puget Sound area. We belong to the Organization for Parent Education, which a state-wide group that keeps us informed of all state-wide legislative activity pertaining to parenting and family issues.
Fundraising
Our program relies on the generous support and donations from our students and community. Your donations help support tuition scholarships and provide classroom toys and supplies. Some examples of fundraising initiatives include:
- Scholastic Book Club where every purchase earns books for our classroom and prizes for our carnival
- “Pass the Hat” where families make a suggested donation that into our Scholarship fund
- AmazonSmile where Amazon donates 0.5% of your purchases to RTG at no cost to you
- Annual fundraising Carnival
If you’d like more information or would like to donate to our program, please click here.