For over 30 years, Chrysalis Preschool has been a leader among Portland’s early childhood institutions, pioneering a rich educational experience in a child-scaled home environment.
The vision of Colleen Strohm, who founded Chrysalis in 1989, lives on under the direction of her daughter, Lily Rosenbaum, who was both a student in the school’s early years and later a teacher at Chrysalis.
Lily Rosenbaum now has her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and has opened a new Chrysalis Preschool in her home in the Montavilla neighborhood.
Enrollment for Fall 2025 is open! To receive our informational materials, please fill out an inquiry form.
Then contact us via email or phone to schedule a tour, or use the online scheduler below:
Why Chrysalis?
Chrysalis gives your child the benefits you’d expect from the best of the large independent schools: highly trained and experienced professionals, and an excellent quality, developmentally appropriate learning experience.
Chrysalis also provides something the larger centers can‘t: a low teacher/child ratio, and a homey environment.
Through our interactions with students and their parents, and classroom observation, we get to know the children’s interests and skills. We use this, along with the seasons and study of the natural world, to create personalized curriculum that will inspire, challenge, and nurture our students.
Read About: What to look for in a quality preschool
Philosophy
At Chrysalis, we know the best learning in the preschool years occurs through hands-on experiences and play. Evidence-based early learning practices involve encouraging children’s curiosities rather than memorizing or completing worksheets.
We weave literacy and numeracy into our games, songs, and storytelling. Science is explored through cooking, sensory activities, and loose parts play. When we tend the vegetable garden, we not only learn how plants grow, we also hone motor planning skills, study environmental stewardship, and often taste new foods. Music is integrated into many activities–singing together at circle time, classical music as we look at books after lunch, upbeat music that signals clean-up time.
Of course, young children need to move their bodies! We play creative movement games, build forts with large foam cushions, climb into and under the loft, and challenge ourselves with obstacle courses outside.
One of the most important things we teach is interpersonal problem-solving and communication. We emphasize thoughtfulness and empathy, helping children build the skills to collaborate and solve problems together.
Our Classroom
