Small World Preschool marks 45 years with Waimea hoʻolauleʻa

Small World Preschool has spent 45 years building something bigger than a classroom in Waimea. The nonprofit, which now serves children ages 2 to 6 and reports about 35 to 45 students in attendance during the year, will mark the milestone with a public hoʻolauleʻa on April 25 at the Waimea Park and Community Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The celebration comes with a reminder of how much early childhood education can matter in a rural community. Small World Preschool says it was founded in 1981 by four women and was first created for 3- and 4-year-old children of local Waimea families. Its mission remains focused on a developmentally based, age-appropriate preschool program, and the school now says it serves multiple communities on Hawaiʻi Island while staying rooted in South Kohala.

Barbara Ozaki, one of the founders and now the operations manager, said the school grew out of a desire to create a joyful and supportive place where young children could learn and grow. Pier Schutte, the other named founder and site director, said the milestone is really about the families, teachers and children who have shaped the school’s history. School staff have also identified Schutte as founder, co-owner, director and head teacher for the Little Foots group, while Ozaki is listed as founder, co-owner and operations manager.

Small World is using the anniversary to turn memory into a public exhibit. The school is asking alumni and families to contribute photographs and stories for a Walk Down Memory Lane display, a nod to the generations that have passed through the preschool’s doors. For many families, the school has served as one of the earliest anchors in a child’s education, with alumni later moving through Waimea’s schools, workplaces and community groups.

The event lineup reflects that broad reach. Pacific Rhythms, Baba Tavares and Ho‘aikane are scheduled to perform, and organizers are planning keiki activities including bounce houses, Kohala Mountain Train rides, face painting and balloon animals. The preschool’s public profile has long described it as a private, nonprofit, state-licensed program serving the greater South Kohala area, and nonprofit filings summarized by third-party databases show about $743,000 in revenue and $561,000 in expenses in 2022, underscoring a small but established institution.

For Waimea, the anniversary is less about nostalgia than continuity. A preschool founded by four women in 1981 has become part of the community’s working-life infrastructure, supporting families who need dependable care and a place where the youngest children can start learning close to home.