Junior Academy vs. The Colorado Springs School

Since 1951, Junior Academy Children's Centers have been committed to caring for children and families in the Pikes Peak region.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Straeb began Junior Academy Children's Centers, the oldest established private preschools in Colorado Springs.

Currently, the schools are owned and operated by their children, Charles Straeb Jr., Robert Straeb, and Carol Holden.

Childhood is a time of delight, curiosity, and exploration of the world around us.

Junior Academy believes in providing a high quality, safe, fun and enriching environment for children.

Our programs emphasize individual attention, reflecting the needs, interests, developmental level and personality of each child.

The Colorado Springs School (CSS) is a premier independent day school serving students from PreKindergarten through 12th grade on a beautiful 28-acre historic campus. Our mission is to prepare students to meet the challenges of a dynamic world through superior academics and a commitment to leadership, ingenuity, and personal integrity. A Limitless Classroom What truly distinguishes CSS is our distinctive experiential education philosophy, where learning is defined by "doing". We utilize our campus and the world beyond as a living laboratory, moving far beyond traditional desk-bound instruction. Early Childhood & Lower School: Young learners thrive in small class sizes and self-directed discovery, eventually embarking on signature Colorado Expeditions (CoEX) that connect classroom study with real-world heritage and nature.

Middle School: Students explore complex topics through immersive Seminars and the defining 8th Grade Walkabout, a transformative 10-day coming-of-age journey through the canyons and rivers of the American Southwest.

Upper School: Our hallmark Experience-Centered Seminars (ECS) provide intensive local, national, and international experiences-ranging from woodcarving in Alaska to ecology in Patagonia-giving graduates a collegiate-level edge in both experience and perspective.