Pacific Oaks Children’s School has long been a pioneer in early childhood education.
The school traces its roots back to 1906 when the director of Polytechnic School Kindergarten built La Loma House as a resident home for orphaned children. Soon after, California House was added, and a kindergarten program and primary school was established to meet the needs of the orphans. Today both houses serve as classrooms at Pacific Oaks.
Seven Quaker families purchased the school in 1945 with the plan of developing an educational approach built on the values of equality, simplicity, nonviolence, and community. The new Pacific Oaks Friends School was born and those founding values remain rooted in the culture of Pacific Oaks Children’s School to this day.
It has been more than a century since the La Loma House was built. As Pacific Oaks has evolved, it has never lost its forward-thinking spirit of innovation, exemplifying the belief that a good education is never really finished. Learning is a lifelong journey. Pacific Oaks inspires young children to begin it with joy and confidence.
This progressive approach to teaching at Pacific Oaks Children’s School—as well as a need to prepare and inspire future early childhood educators—inspired the formation of Pacific Oaks College in 1959. Today the college remains dedicated to the same fundamental principles on which it was founded more than five decades ago—inclusion, social justice, and the value of every human being. Pacific Oaks College has a reputation for providing students with a transformative educational experience that invites them to embark on a journey of self-exploration, realizing their distinctive strengths and gifts. A respected leader in the field of early childhood education with expanded program offerings to reach students interested in human development, counseling, or teacher credentialing, Pacific Oaks College is a nonprofit, accredited higher education institution. Learn more.
