Lake Superior Zoo School
Growing WILD together!
Registration for Summer 2022 and School Year 2022-2023 is now open!
You will be sent a link for the $25 application fee. If spots are still available after February 20, registration will remain open.
Click here to sign up for a tour during one of our Open Houses in late December or early January!
To join our waitlist for the current 2021-2022 school year, please email Leah at lbudnik@lszoo.org.
Our values: Wonder. Integrity. Love. Diversity.
- Growing WILD. We believe in the sacredness of childhood. We understand this incredible stage of human development, and we honor it by encouraging children to play and by supporting their growth, as we play and grow ourselves. We also commit to grow as an early childhood education program rooted in educational research.
- Wonder. We believe in the power of curiosity. We know that an open-minded approach to life allows imaginations to grow and flourish, connections to form, and meaning to be built. We see the world with new eyes each day.
- Integrity. We commit to becoming the best version of ourselves. Young children learn by observing the role models in their lives. We strive to provide strong models for children to imitate, and we teach children the power of their own words and actions.
- Love. We embrace that loving, safe relationships are the foundation of high-quality early childhood education. We approach our families, our children, and our work with love in an effort to build a compassionate community.
- Diversity. We recognize that everyone is different, and that our differences strengthen us as a community. Together, we create a place where all children are free to discover and to celebrate their own unique cultures and identities.
Our mission: To inspire the healthy social emotional, physical, creative, and cognitive development of young children through close-up experiences with animals and nature.
The Lake Superior Zoo School is a 4 star Parent Aware rated program!
Parent Aware is Minnesota’s voluntary rating system for early childhood programs, including those in centers, homes, schools, and churches. Programs that participate in the Parent Aware rating program at any star level are going above and beyond the basic licensing requirements by taking additional trainings and developing curriculum and family support systems that research shows lead to children’s success in future schooling. Higher levels of rating also mean more state and county scholarship support is available to help each family pay for preschool! Learn more about what the star levels mean: http://parentaware.org/learn/stars-defined/
Days, Times, and Tuition Rates
- Monday-Friday; 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (8:00-5:00 starting 6/20/22)
- 2021-2022 School-year Session: Tuesday, September 7, 2021 – Thursday, June 9, 2022
- 2022 Summer Session: Monday, June 20, 2022 – Friday, August 26, 2022
- 2022-2023 School-year Session: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 – Thursday, June 8, 2023
- Full-time: $900 per month
- Part-time (Tuesday, Thursday): $360 per month
- Part-time (Monday, Wednesday, Friday): $540 per month
Frequently Asked Questions
Registration will be available on this web page starting January 17, 2022.
Apply using the buttons above. Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled. A $25 application fee is due when applying.
The Lake Superior Zoo School is open to children ages 33 months (fully potty trained) to 5 years old located in the Twin Ports area. We also accept families participating in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and Early Learning Scholarships.
Registered families will either be offered a spot at Zoo School or placed on the waitlist for the session in which they registered. Placement will be announced at the end of February. Priority of placement is as follows: 1) children of zoo employees, 2) previously enrolled children, 3) siblings of previously enrolled children, 4) families in need of financial assistance, 5) new families requesting full time care, 6) new families requesting part time care. After February, placements will be made on an ongoing basis if spots are still available.
Yes, the non-refundable deposit amounts are as follows:
– FULL-TIME: School Year Session is $270. The deposit for Summer Session is $450.
– PART-TIME (T/TH): School Year Session is $135. The deposit for Summer Session is $180.
– PART-TIME (M/W/F): School Year Session is $135. The deposit for Summer Session is $270.
For summer, the deposit covers tuition for August 15-26. For school year, the deposit covers tuition for June 1-8.
• Arrival & Playscape Play
• Morning Meeting
• Snack
• Zoo Walk
• Playscape Play
• Lunch
• Rest
• Quiet Play
• Inside Play
• Small Group/Hike
• Snack
• Playscape Play & Departure
Learn more about our program plan here.
Tuition is collected via automatic bank withdrawal or credit card.
Please see our 2021-2022 Calendar
Please see our 2022-2023 Calendar
We have a full pandemic preparedness plan in place, as well as a parent guide and home screening tool for COVID-19 symptoms. Please click the links below to view those documents.
• LSZS COVID-19 Policies & Procedures
• Home Screening tool for COVID-19 Symptoms
• COVID-19 Decision Tree
Currently, the class size is 18 children with 4 teachers.
For Summer Session, tuition payments are due on June 20 & July 18. Prorated tuition for August 15-26 is included with the non-refundable deposit.
When our enrollment is full, you can check out these other high-quality nature programs in the Duluth Nature Play Collaborative:
• Secret Forest Playschool
• Wind Ridge Schoolhouse
• Duluth Forest Kinderhaus
• Wandering Roots Nature School
• Spirit of the Lake Community School Kinderfarm
• Hartley Nature Preschool
