Location, Location, Location: What’s in a Space?

When we began this journey months and months ago, one of the first questions people asked us was where the school would be located.

Great question, and we are so pleased to now have an answer! We will be joining Newport Street Retreat in Montclair.

But what is this place, and how did we come to be there?

In looking for a location, our first step was to figure out on which part of the Denver/Boulder area to focus. In talking to parents, many shared with us that 15-20 minutes was on the high end of how long they were willing to drive to get their kids to school, and with Denver growing and growing, that time just didn’t get you where it used to get you.

We looked at the demographic data from Denver in general and also from the Greater Denver Jewish Community Study to help us consider what was happening with the Denver population. We surveyed dozens and dozens of people who know the community, asking where a school like ours was needed. We spent days exploring different parts of the Denver/Boulder area to determine the feasibility of different areas. In the end, we determined Montclair/Park Hill/Stapleton to be our target area. While we knew that there would be no way to please everyone (we constantly have people in Greenwood Village asking for the school to be there or the Highlands asking for it to be there), we felt this area was most in need of what we were creating.

Not only does this part of Denver lack easy access to Jewish community like other parts of town, but the school options are also significantly more limited with the main option being Denver Public Schools. We also recognized that Stapleton and the surrounding areas are a quickly-expanding part of Denver.

And then we had to actually find a space.

It was very important to us that our school space reflect our school priorities. We want our kids to be outside as much as possible, so a nice outdoor space was essential. We want our kids engaging with the local community in meaningful ways, so opportunities to do so was a must. We want to create a safe, welcoming, fun environment for kids and families, so having that feel in the space was also vital. Also, ideally, we wanted a space that recognized how special Einstein Academy was and was really excited to be a part of this important project.

For months we looked into potential locations, but nothing felt just right. It wasn’t in our target geographic location. It was missing some of the components we wanted. The space just didn’t feel right.

And then we found Newport Street Retreat (NSR). NSR’s mission is to nourish that which nourishes the community with a goal of providing self care, education, fellowship and professional growth opportunities to good people who do good things. When we heard this, we couldn’t help but note how aligned NSR was to Einstein Academy in its commitment to being a resource to the community and fostering growth in different areas.

NSR is based out of a mid-century modern building that was created to be a Methodist church. Over the last three years, it has been home to Be3, a dinner church, which takes an innovative approach to engaging its community. As of Easter Sunday, NSR will no longer be home to a church of any kind, with all of its resources going to hosting start-up companies and organizations focusing on making a positive impact on the community.

Located in the heart of Montclair, conveniently located right in the middle of Lowry, Stapleton, and Park Hill, NSR’s location is central and an easy commute for so many families.

NSR has garden boxes in the front and an enclosed back yard with beehives (soon to also be home to chickens); it’s also directly across the street from Montclair Park and the Montclair Civic Center and also features a variety of multi-purpose spaces indoors that can be arranged to fit the unique needs of our style of learning.

Some of the other partners at NSR include Tina Porter Yoga, Wonder Lab Creative Studios, and Dramatic Adventures, and we have already begun thinking of how to partner with them at Einstein Academy to provide an even better experience for our students and families.

Ultimately, we are so excited about this partnership with NSR, and, while we would have liked to have been able to solidify and share a location earlier in this process, we believe the wait was worth it. NSR’s commitment to the community and genuine interest in making a positive impact in the lives of others is directly in line with the goals of Einstein Academy. We are so excited to partner with them during this foundational stage of building our school and welcome your partnership as well!