Dancing Moose is an early childhood educational program focusing on ages 18 months through 3rd grade in a private school setting. Dancing Moose stands out as an exceptional educational setting that incorporates a daily movement class (Tae Kwon Do, dance, yoga, music), a hands-on gardening program, hot lunch made from scratch by an in-house chef, and low teacher to student ratios. Children engage in self-directed learning using hands-on materials. Teachers challenge children at their own pace and engage in critical thinking skills by encouraging them to work independently and to teach their peers. Dancing Moose incorporates the foundational principles, methods, and materials of Montessori while recognizing that education is dynamic and progressive. Many important learning principles are inspired by contemporary theorists, and Dancing Moose continually revisits curricular goals and related materials to include current research. Dancing Moose has been recognized with a Best of State award six times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015) in the categories of preschool (2), administrator (2), community development and teacher. In 2011 they were awarded with the Best of State trophy for the overall education category.