Early Enrichment Program is growing (EEP) !!!

We are thrilled to share an exciting update from Jungle Academy. Following the successful pilot of our program for 6-to-9-year-olds, we are officially expanding our Early Enrichment Program (EEP!) to serve younger children.

This program is a dedicated response to the needs of our community. We are thrilled to offer a Montessori-inspired learning environment that blends the global academic standards Jungle Academy is known for with the unique, vibrant setting of the Southern Zone.

Beginning in February 2026, the EEP will run Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, maintaining a low maximum of 10 students to ensure highly individualized attention.

The Power of a Balanced Approach

As parents in the Costa Ballena area, we know you have many wonderful choices for your children. Our distinct approach at Jungle Academy focuses on creating a piloted learning environment that is both professionally guided and profoundly enriching.

While many programs rightly focus on free play and nature, we are dedicated to ensuring that your child’s enthusiasm for learning is matched by a strong, foundational academic skill set. Our Montessori-inspired approach ensures we maintain this balance.

We believe that academic rigor and socio-emotional development are not mutually exclusive—they are two sides of the same, well-rounded coin.

Our dedicated classroom time centers on the core areas essential for future success: Reading, Writing, Math and Spanish. Our teachers are focused on meeting each child exactly where they are, utilizing individualized lessons and discussions to promote independence and critical thinking. This customized approach ensures that every student is consistently challenged to do their best work, setting them up for a smooth transition into later grades.

Learning Through Discovery, Not Just Drills

A key part of the EEP is recognizing how younger children learn best—through discovery. Our schedule thoughtfully balances focused academic lessons with essential play-based learning and unstructured free time. This isn’t just downtime; it’s where children organically build crucial socio-emotional skills:

• Navigating conflict and building resilience with peers.

• Negotiating complex rules in games.

• Developing empathy by understanding different points of view.

  
  

Our whole learning environment is guided by three simple, powerful tenets: Respect Yourself, Respect Others, and Respect the Environment.

We actively explore what this means in practice. Respecting yourself means giving your all and showing self-kindness when faced with a challenge. Respecting others means using kind words and being ready to help a friend. And Respecting the Environment can be as simple as caring for classroom materials or exploring the wonders of the jungle during our nature hikes and field trips. Kindness is truly the key to everything we do.

What the Future Holds: EEP Vision

We are so excited about the momentum of the EEP and have big plans to make it even better. Moving forward, we are committing to:

• Building Resources: Significantly expanding our classroom materials and learning tools to further enrich the daily curriculum.

• Growing Community: Scheduling regular Family Nights to strengthen the partnership between home and school.

• Embracing Nature: Adding new, exciting field trips and focusing on the care of animals (goats, pigs, etc.) to integrate responsibility and hands-on learning, along with getting our dedicated hiking trail ready for exploration.

• Welcoming New Faces: Opening our doors to new students who are eager to learn and thrive in the Jungle Academy family!

  
  

If you are a family in the Costa Ballena area seeking a program that prioritizes a professional academic foundation while still embracing the essential joy, curiosity, and play of early childhood, we encourage you to reach out HERE

We can’t wait to welcome your youngest learners into the EEP!