Renaissance School is a private preschool that provides a unique learning environment for children aged 2.9 to 5 years old. Located next to the Marks Meadow Elementary School, at the edge of the UMass campus, the school serves as a teacher training site for the five college area. As an early childhood collaborative the school provides a supportive atmosphere where children, teachers and parents come together to discover and grow. Renaissance School was established as a private, non-secular preschool in September 2004. The schools roots originate from the UMass Early Childhood Laboratory School, which closed in May 2004, after a seventy one year long history. Renaissance School continues the laboratory schools reputation for providing high quality, cutting edge practice in the field of early childhood education. Inspired by the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, emergent curricular studies are negotiated by the children and teachers and the "project approach" is implemented. Projects can be either long or short term, lasting just a few moments or weeks depending on interest and possibilities for in depth exploration. The curriculum aims to help children develop creativity, strong problem-solving abilities, and a rich sense of inquiry.