Give your child a joyful, hands-on preschool experience rooted in exploration, discovery, and the natural world.
West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science offers a nature-based Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) where children learn early academic skills through outdoor play, guided exploration, and rich classroom experiences. Our preschoolers experience the best of both worlds—high-quality early childhood education and daily adventure on our 62-acre campus.
Please ensure you child meets the following requirements before applying.
For the 2025–2026 school year, children must be:
4 years old on or before December 1, 2025
Income and other factors no longer determine eligibility. These factors simply help prioritize placement if spots are limited—but they no longer exclude families from enrolling.
When applying through Kent ISD, families will need:
WMAES preschoolers learn in a safe, structured, and nature-rich setting that includes:
Our highly qualified teachers partner closely with families to provide the best preschool experience possible.
Our team is committed to providing an exceptional early childhood experience where students build confidence, independence, academic readiness, and a love of learning.
Questions? Please email me at jamiesonshultz@choiceschools.
or give us a call (616) 791-7454 Ext. 3012.
Nature-Based GSRP Preschool at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science is an environmentally-based program focused on exploring and learning early childhood academic skills alongside nature with hands-on, child-centered discovery. With an emergent curriculum developed by natural discovery and student-centered interest, our classrooms learn alongside nature at West Michigan Academy’s 62-acre campus.
There are many researched benefits to nature-based learning. Studies have shown that benefits fall into three major categories: soc-emotional, cognitive, and physical. Social emotional development comes from student’s growth in cooperation, communication, teamwork, and persistence as they navigate natural landscapes together as classmates. Cognitively, nature-based learning has shown to grow executive functioning skills, higher stress relief, more motivation and engagement in learning, and more creative and imaginative play due to more complex spaces. Physically, nature based learning has many health benefits including being more active, gross motor development, and learning to play with appropriate risk-taking opportunities.
There is no tuition for our Nature-Based GSRP program. The Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is a state funded preschool children who turn four by December 1st of the school year.
Your student will need:
WMAES provides the following items for all students:
Students will go outside if the windchill is above 0 degrees. If it is at 0 degrees, the students will be outside for a maximum of 15-minute increments with proper clothing. In warm weather, students will have water bottles with them and be in shaded areas as necessary. We ask parents to provide labeled sunscreen and insect repellent for their students that will be applied and kept at school.
Breakfast, lunch, and snack are all free and will be provided daily through WMAES Food Service Program.
Students are allowed to bring their own snacks and meals from home, pending allergy restrictions.
Join us for our monthly Nature Walk and Talk where you and your child will experience different themes of nature! Our tours include a short-guided hike within our 62-acre campus followed by exploration of our outdoor classroom which includes sand, magnet wall, mud kitchen and more.
WHEN: October 17, December 5, February 6, March 27, May 1
WHERE: West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science (meet at the outdoor classroom space to the left of the Elementary building)
TIME: 9-10:30AM
*No Sign Up Required! This program will run rain, snow, or shine, so please dress for the weather. Please note that this program is designed for children ages 1–4 and their caregivers. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science strives to provide an environment that will foster creativity, promote academic achievement, and develop sound character and citizenship principles.