Where we operate

What we do

Our model relies on Community Hosts – organizations who share our vision and long-term commitment to early childhood education and deeply understand the needs of their communities. These organizations provide the physical space where Bezos Academy schools are housed, including outdoor areas for the children.  

Once we identify a community and find a Host with a suitable, available space, Bezos Academy collaborates with them to renovate it into a warm, welcoming preschool environment. We then furnish it with everything required to open a new Montessori-inspired preschool. Our preschools must follow high standards, including meeting or exceeding all state and local early childhood education licensing requirements.

We cover operating expenses associated with our preschool programs at no cost to the families we serve or our Host. We hire, train, develop, and pay talented educators and provide everything the children need during their day with us, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.   

How it works

We identify eligible communities based on the answers to three questions: Does the community have a high concentration of low-income families? How many 3-to-5-year-old children live in the community? What is the gap between the number of preschool age children, and the full-day, year-round licensed preschool seats? We are looking for communities that have a large, growing access gap. 

We start by speaking with trusted organizations to see if they are interested in hosting a Bezos Academy or know of somebody who might be. When we find an individual or organization that has available space and is interested in hosting a tuition-free preschool, we discuss partnering.  

What we ask of Hosts

Each Host provides the space to us rent-free for a period of at least 10 years. Ten years might seem like a long time, but we’re committed to this work for the long haul, and we want the families and communities we serve to have as much predictability as possible. Additionally, Hosts may support in other ways. For example, Hosts have contributed by grading and sodding the outdoor area.

It’s not just about space, however. We realize that our Hosts know their communities best, so we also request their help to better understand the local community, including meeting with other organizations and public agencies on the front lines of serving area children and families.

We are especially interested in collaborating with:

Facilities with sufficient space for 3-5 classrooms (4,000-9,000 square feet) are preferred.