I am compelled to leave this review for fear that even one more unsuspecting parent would entrust their children with this school. We pulled our son out with 6 weeks left bc we felt unstable and disrespected. We tried our best to make this work and engage the administration. We endured months of lies and deflection while multiple very good teachers and assistants left due to an alleged hostile work environment. But when a 2 yr old child was found by their mother on the sidewalk alone at pick up time, the city shut the school down and we never went back. All throughout, we did not receive a single honest, straightforward communication from the founder, Sudha. While well intention as an educator, as a leader, she is next level dissociative and narcissistic. Unreal. read more

Our child attended Trilok for two years. Our kid was lucky to have some great in-classroom teachers for most of that time, but unfortunately that's the only good thing I can say about the school. The director is basically absent, and therefore there is no administrative backbone for the school. If you have questions or issues, you have to push very hard to get answers. Communication from the school (including notification of closure) was erratic and last minute, which was extremely challenging for working parents. It also became clear that it was a very difficult place for the teachers to work, resulting in our child's beloved teacher leaving midyear. Our kid was moved to a different class, with a teacher who seemed both overwhelmed, ill-prepared, and was assigning age-inappropriate work. The last few months of our final year there were barely tolerable. The school has also had some instances of safety protocol issues, like when a 2-year-old somehow left the school grounds on their own and was found on the sidewalk by their mother. The school was mostly closed down by the DoH for this infraction for over 4 weeks. This was not handled in a conscientious or thoughtful way by the administration, but instead was handled defensively. We tried very hard to work with the school to strengthen communication and parent-school relationships, but were met with defensiveness, evasiveness, and eventually hostility. I would not recommend this school to any family, unfortunately. read more

My child attended Trilok for three months in Spring 2023. While I have very positive feelings about my child's main teachers, we ultimately left the school after just under three months following an issue with safety at the school. The school emailed one day to let us know that a child at the school walked out at dismissal time without an adult and was found by their mom on the street. Fortunately, they were unharmed, but the situation raised concerns for us about the safety procedures and general management of the school. As is required by the Department of Health, the school was shut down so that its procedures could be reviewed and revised. Following requests from parents, the school scheduled Zoom calls with each family to answer questions. While I appreciated the opportunity to discuss the situation, the call raised major concerns. One staff member who attended the call emphasized multiple times that the child was only left unsupervised on the street for less than a minute before their mom found them, which I perceived as a failure in acknowledging that the outcome could have been much worse, that the school failed in its responsibility to keep the children safe and that the situation demonstrated a meaningful gap in how the school was operating. This situation raised greater concerns for our family about how the school operates. My point of view is that there's a missing layer of director support physically present at the school on a consistent basis-someone to talk with on issues like educational and behavioral approach and questions about how the school is run. I believe deeply that schools require partnership from parents and passed along everything I've shared here via email following the situation. My email went without a response from the school until four weeks later when they reopened and called to find out when we'd be returning despite multiple emails to let them know we wouldn't be. At best, my experience is that the school has some extremely caring teachers and the best of intentions, but ultimately doesn't have an operating plan at this time to ensure the best outcomes for its students and communication with parents. At worst, I feel like the school leadership made errors and never communicated with parents on plans to improve the school's procedures and wasn't responsive to the concerns I shared. read more

I was very glad to see that this place has been shut down. We sent our child here for middle school during the first year of covid. The teachers were good people, and so it wasn't a completely negative experience; but the head of the school, Sudha, and her family are very psychologically unwell people. They created an unpleasant and erratic atmosphere which, combined with the head's bullying management style, forced all the teachers to quit (if they hadn't already been fired). We had to pull our son out of the school suddenly, a week before the end of the school year, because he was being harassed and threatened by Sudha. We survived this experience, but these people should not be managing children. read more

I enrolled my child into this preschool with an open heart and mind. I am new to the area so I did not know much about the reputation of this school and relied on a recommendation from someone I knew.I wish I had done more asking around. My first concern is that they dont really watch the children. ***My child came with bumps and bruises***. Literally my kid's entire elbow and forearm was skinned and bleeding when she came home from school. No one called me to let me know she fell, they did not even clean it and apply ointment. They just sent her home like that. I literally was e-mailing, calling and texting them every day the first week my kid was there to see how it was going and NO ONE mentioned this to me. I became concerned when my nanny told me that when it was time to drop my kid off to daycare she would cry and say she didnt want to go. My kid has gone to school before and is used to daycare, she never acted this way about her other daycares. The next problem is that THE STAFF IS INCREDIBLY UNCARING of what happens to your kid. I asked my nanny to ask how my kid was doing at the time of pick up. The extended day teacher literally told my nanny " I have no idea what is going on with her, I am not her teacher." So I called the school and asked and she literally said the same thing to me. I emailed the director to let her know how inappropriate this was and you know her answer? None. NO response to my email. When I finally had enough and said I wanted to withdraw my kid, the director had the nerve to ask me to pay $2400 when my kid had been there ten days, EVEN AFTER MY KID CAME HOME WITH A WHOLE SKINNED ARM, bumps and bruises! She had the nerve to email me to say that they follow a complete protocol and if anything happened to my kid it must have been somewhere other than the school. My kid literally goes to school and comes home everyday. Yes you read that right-- $2400 FOR TEN DAYS. What is even worse - when I asked if I could come pick up the school supplies for my daughter, that whole long list of stuff I brought that cost over $200 - the director had the nerve to tell me "Sorry we can not return the school supplies. We have already mixed it all together".... So you are telling me you mixed together her wipes that come in a package? Her 3 bottles of hand soap that come in a package? The 500 sheets of printer and construction paper you opened them all up and just mixed them all together?!?!? Yes. So friends this is what happens when greed takes over. I am furious. Please save yourself the hassle and send your kid somewhere else. My kid is gifted, she can identify all her letters at age 2 and numbers and phonic sounds. I hoped I could put here somewhere where she could be challenged. Instead I found myself constantly worrying about her safety. And then of course now that Ive lived in the neighborhood a bit more and talked to more people I have now finally heard that this school has a bad reputation in the neighborhood and people avoid it for that reason. Also if you think you are getting this amazing nature experience for your kid, the kids do not even really get to go to the garden. read more

Trilok School - Preschools Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The members of the administration at Trilok are crooks who don't care about the wellbeing and safety of the children attending their institution. They overcharge your account and refuse to provide refunds. The staff turnover rate is also astounding, and the facilities are not well maintained. Please don't send your kids here. read more

Love this school - the light, the creativity, the elaborate end of semester performances, the greenhouse in the garden and so much more! Both my sons thrived here. We appreciated the attention given to world cultures, as well as the devotion to principles of community, deep respect for the environment, equality and diversity. They have created a very nurturing environment for little ones. My sons made amazing friends, and so did we as parents! Trilok is deeply rooted in the Fort Greene - Clinton Hill community and makes every effort to bring together parents, educators and children as a cohesive team. It takes a village, and this is a beautiful one. Highly recommend this school. read more

My son is 2yrs old and he is absolutely THRIVING at this school. He comes home every day with new skills, a greater vocabulary, and although my son is potty trained already they have one teacher who specializes in that. He gets healthy meals and plenty of playtime in one of three outdoor spaces, including the garden where they learn horticulture in the summer. Which is great because it means we don't have to take him to public playgrounds where he might be at greater exposure to COVID or just regular sicknesses. They have a very responsible approach to COVID protections limiting class size and contact. Have you ever seen an entire room of 2-3 year olds wear masks the whole day? I have because Trilok sends daily photo updates of classroom activities. It's also somehow a cheaper option than many other private schools. We know some other parents who have had their children there for years and it's all rave reviews. EDIT: I've read another bad review here that talked about their child being injured. I can't speak to that but I will mention that my child was bitten by another child (it happens) and I was immediately notified and provided with a full write up of the incident and also given an opportunity to meet with the teachers about it. It was a small bite, nothing to worry about. I was surprised they even mentioned it. But I was happy they had a protocol in place. Very professional. read more

Our 2.5 year old daughter has been attending Trilok since June and we are so pleased with our experience. We started her in the summer camp program. It was the first time we'd had her in any kind of social setting since the Covid restrictions went in place in March and we were nervous. But the teachers and staff put us at ease with their rigorous health surveillance, distancing, and mask protocols as well as their emphasis on outdoor play. We saw right away how happy it made our daughter to be in a warm, stimulating environment with other kids her age and interact with teachers who can support her curious mind. All the time she got playing outdoors was great for expending her energy and building motor skills. She came home every night excited to show us the new songs she'd learned or the art project she'd done. We're now several weeks into the preschool year, and the folks at Trilok have done everything they possibly can to ensure that the school environment is safe and that the kids can continue to grow and thrive amidst all of the uncertainty that the Covid crisis has produced. Our daughter's vocabulary and motor skills continue to grow, along with her confidence as she continues to master new skills like going to the potty. She eats healthy meals each day and comes home excited to tell us about the fun things she's done and people she's interacted with. We have open lines of communication with her teacher and other staff and trust that everyone on the team will continue to do everything they can to ensure our daughter's well being while she is in their care. read more

After 2+ years at Trilok, I'd like to give a shout out to the teachers and staff for the wonderful experience my son has received there from age 2-4. My son has his share of toddler challenges... From our perspective, the 3 year old class offered an amazing balance of structured skill-building activities and time for free-form exploration in a caring environment. Depending on the event or source of frustration, he was encouraged to talk about his feelings or redirected to a different activity. Once he came home with a 5' long dragon made from upcycled egg crates he painted mostly by himself! For the few weeks he was there this Summer, they spent a lot of time exploring the neighborhood- developing a relationship with the community and absorbing its rich diversity. The demonstrative garden (with a working aquaponic greenhouse) and partnership with Gymstar are fantastic assets to the school. There were always ups and downs at the beginning of each school year, but I felt they addressed it as best as they could once the parents are engaged. My son's class ended up with the best teacher who not only created great synergy between the kids but helped foster a bond between the families. My son has also made great friends in the school. On a personal note, I once forgot to pick my son up after school. By the time I receive the call from school and got to school I was over an hour late. Upon arrival I felt so ashamed for forgetting my baby, but was greeted warmly by the Director AND my son was perfectly happy with a pretzel in hand. She and her husband had stayed with him until I was there to pick him up. I'll always appreciate that huge relief to know he is in loving hands even beyond normal school hours. read more

I have two kids. My older one has been going for 6 years - since she was 2 years old. My second one -for 3. Both of my kids are happy, learning and growing. They are loved and nurtured by the amazing teachers in the school. Kids have yoga, mediation, dance and weaving as part of the school. From what I observed,some of these subjects change and while there might be yoga this month, there might be gymnastics next month. I noticed a previous comment that talks about turnover of teachers. I feel that it is not quite accurate. Yes, there is a turnover, I will not deny it. However, the school has been working very hard on rectifying the issue. Some of the best teachers in the school have been there for years. Besides, from my discussions on this topic with people who work in other schools, it seems to be typical. There are some things that could be better. There are times when I am annoyed. But my children are so happy there. Ultimately, the school is for them, not for me and that is why we are staying there. read more

Our son goes to Trilok and he has grown by leaps and bounds since starting. The teachers take their role in the kids' development very seriously and have daily art projects and activities that teach them new skills. Even more important, the school has a strong parent community that takes an active role in the growth of its programs. It's a great community to be a part of. read more

My wife and I are "second generation" Trilok parents. Let me explain. Our oldest son started at Trilok when he was in the 2nd grade. At the time, he was struggling to keep up in public school which expected a kinetic learner at the age of 6-7 to conform to sitting behind a desk. Being artists, my wife and I knew we needed an environment that would stimulate his curiosity and meet his expressive needs. We stumbled upon Trilok in a bout of desperation while in the neighborhood. Mind you before that encounter we had not considered a private school due to the cost. At the time this was our only child and figured we had to get his love for learning right. We scheduled a tour and were immediately impressed with the school's small class sizes, sense of community and philosophy of meeting each child where they where. Sudha's understanding that every child learns differently connected with me and we decided to enroll our son. To keep this review short, I'll fast forward to where we are today. With thanks to the teachers and staff at Trilok and some not so bad parenting, our struggling, our active 6 year old is now 15 years old and preparing to enter Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. After graduating from Trilok he went on to a G&T middle school among other creative outlets. I credit Trilok and it's teachers for laying a foundation where our son could feel confident in his abilities. He enjoyed his time and it offered a stimulating environment where he could grow, and learn at his own pace. Now we have a 5 year old Trilok scholar being educated by some of the same teachers his older brother had. My wife and I are very confident in Trilok's methods of educating the whole child. When it really counts in times of emergency, like Covid-19 and having to switch to remote learning we are witnessing their effort to do their best. This coming fall the school plans to open with guidelines in place and I'm confident in their plan and ability to shift if needed. I highly recommend this school for it's patience, education, the parent community and the teachers care. I also want to highlight that no school is perfect. This school is not perfect but my children have grown and continue to grown exponentially. If you invest in the school you will see some kind of return in the end. read more

I am simply fortunate for my son Don , who is 3 yrs old, to be apart of Trilok Preschool. He has been there since the beginning of this year. This school's philosophy creates a world of peace, love and happiness for the family, school and our environment we all live in together in this world. My heart feels so warm and happy every morning when I see my son's face light up to see his friends at school while they run off together and go play. The teachers are so warm, patient, genuine, concerned, playful, loving, upbeat, and fun. The staff at Trilok makes the parent feel strongly apart of their child's experience, for example, keeping me consistently informed with details of activities, events, trips, etc. While allowing parents to contribute their natural talents to fundraisers and school activities. This experience so far for me and my son has been so rewarding to say the least. I am amazed how much he loves to read, express is artistic side, sing songs, share with others, respect nature, and just love! I look forward to many more priceless moments with Trilok:-) read more

I love my daughters adventure when she loves trilok i love this preschool the food quality is great and my daughter loves this preschool Katie loves the food here and she loves chicken nuggets i had enjoyed her and my son in trilok that is four keeps bullying my daughter and shes sad thank goodness she is Ok! Thank You! read more

We transferred from public school last year and never looked back! Great school, small class sizes, wonderful staff and a director who is warm and inviting :). My other 2 (who did not go there) are excited to be attending in the Fall. Their on line program was like a full day of school. The teachers were engaging and thought of interesting ways to make learning at home fun (ie trivia, movies and "hallway" meet ups). There is also a garden that the children help care for and eat from. There are alot of amazing things about this school. I would highly recommend it!. read more

We're so happy to have found Trilok School, and our daughter absolutely loves it - to the point that she asks if she can go there on the weekends. She loves exploring and engaging in the wide variety of activities and topics that they cover each day, and I'm constantly surprised with the knowledge and insights she comes home with. As parents, we love Trilok's arts-based education approach, which focuses on developing the whole person and integrating multiple ways of thinking and knowing. The world our kids are growing up in will require an active curiosity and knowing how to work with ambiguity, abstraction and connecting disparate patterns. Learning how to count, subtract and divide through apportioning food that the children share with each other, and then talking about where each of the ingredients come from is an example of the 3-year-old version of that, and it's the kind of activity that makes up our daughter's entire day at Trilok. The teachers are great and the space is amazing - multiple floors, big classrooms, a gym/dance area. a garden and a playground! I see a review below that seems to be positive about the school but negative about the director (...so why 1 star? they seem to like everything else but the art supplies and the director's management style during a difficult time. It's like the 1-star restaurant reviews where the food and ambience is excellent but they didn't like the hostess...), but the director is clearly the reason the school is there in the first place and seems to be such a positive force in trying to fulfill the mission of the school. Of course teachers should have a good amount of latitude and discretion to guide their students as well, and given what we've seen so far, that seems to be the case. We're relatively new, but we feel really confident in the school, teachers and leadership and we couldn't be happier to be part of the community. More important than anything, we see our daughter blossoming at Trilok and she couldn't be happier there. read more

Trilok has been a wonderful, warm embrace for my 3-1/2 year old, who has been there for a year and a half. She loves her teachers and friends, she's learning and growing emotionally far more than I ever expected from a preschool, and when I pick her up every day, she says her favorite part of school was "playing and playing and playing." She has FUN there. She's learning to be a generous, compassionate citizen of the world at Trilok, too. She recycles, she speaks with wide-eyed excitement about being a leader and "good to the earth," and she's mindful (most of the time!) I love the after school activities, and my husband and I have made many, many friends there--we love the parent activities. We plan to send our younger daughter there, too. read more

Trilok Preschool, while seemingly founded on great ideals and practices, is often unorganized and frighteningly careless. There is a high turnover rate for staff which is certainly difficult for children and parents to handle. The teachers work wonderfully with the children while they remain part of the school but are overworked and very underpaid. The director of the school neglects her teachers by not providing them with the necessary resources needed for everyday staff and not paying them a living wage, causing them to leave despite their love of the students and their parents. This is a school that could achieve great things but is now greatly understaffed and mismanaged. read more

Communications between school and parents and high teacher turnover are both definitely issues. The school is trying to grow to extend through middle school but currently there's too much student attrition and a lack of administrative infrastructure to make it a viable option beyond kindergarten or maybe first grade. That said, it is bright, cheerful, and welcoming -- truly a wonderful environment for a preschooler. Our daughter fell in love with the school on her first day - at age 2 - and we always felt confident that she was being cared for. It truly is a community, and the parents we met in our time there have become great friends. It's affordable, and the actual curriculum is very impressive (our daughter left at age 4 able to read and to do simple addition and subtraction). No school is 100% perfect, and we felt strongly that the administrative issues were well outweighed by our daughter's learning experience. We plan to send our younger daughter there as soon as she's old enough. read more

My daughter just started there, and she loves it! She can't wait to go to school every morning.

Actually, I don't know where these positive reviews are coming from. My child is currently in the pre-school. She enjoys it as a child will enjoy a place where no demands are placed upon her and is tantamount to an expensive day-care. They will NOT teach your child anything more than you would get at a day-care. The teacher doesn't care. The Principal might be an "amazing woman" but when it comes to accepting parental input, she listens with a smiling face and then does nothing to address your concerns. I think the root of the problem is that she was placed in an incorrect age group - she should have been placed in the older bracket of the pre-school but instead is the eldest by far among a group of 2 to 3 year olds (my daughter is 4.5 years old). When we wanted to have her switched out to the older group, the Principal essentially ignored the request. My daughter is not learning much of anything in her class; most of what she learns she learns from our family. Basically, her class is one big play-school daycare. The classes for older kids might be better, but the pre-school is unequivocal garbage for the price. I give it 2 stars because at least my daughter is happy and has made some friends there. read more

I could not be happier with my decision to send my child to Trilok School. When my son was about 14 months I decided to engage in the (seemingly) requisite hysteria concerning pre-school. I knew I wanted to send him somewhere at age 2, and I knew I wanted it to be full time. There are only a few schools in my area that do such a schedule starting with the 2's so I did a bit of homework and began taking tours. My first tour was at the Coop school which I expected to be the no-brainer. Its around the corner from my house, and I had heard great things about it. But I kept looking at other options. Going down the list my next tour was set up at Trilok. In stark contrast to what I had just experienced of 50 nervous parents crammed into a tiny room, was my tour of Trilok. I sat in a nice room at their incredible facility, just myself and one other parent. Sudha the director came in fully regaled in a beautiful sari and offered us tea and biscuits and proceeded to tell us everything about her history and the school. Her energy and passion for what she is doing there is infectious. She told us how the school came to be and what her hopes are for its future. We spoke at length, she never made us feel rushed or like we couldn't talk about whatever our feelings or concerns could be. She showed us how the children use weaving as a way to learn to count, how they share lunches creating a feeling of community, explained that the school is naturally diverse and therefore needn't to aim to be so. She told us how she only began dressing in sari after her children were born to give them a sense of their cultural tradition. All this care and subtle attention to culture was very impressive to me. We took a tour and Sudha showed us the windows she had installed after she received some grant or another. The facility is massive and colorful, has 3 large outdoor areas including a huge lot converted to a garden where much of the summer session takes place. Many languages are offered and spoken, there is an after school program which offers Hindi, Spanish, Chinese, Ballet, Indian Dance, piano and many other classes. I signed my son up at age 22 months and he has been there ever since (he is now 3 and a half). I have no plans to leave as he could not be happier there. His teachers are nurturing and loving, and the community is made up of many interesting parents. It is his home away from home. I highly recommend this place that for me, has been a most wonderful and fortunate gift in the raising of my son. read more

There is nothing like coming into a building full of children's voices, laughter and music. Climbing the stairs to the Apples classroom, I am contented with all that surrounds me and the air is full of such wonderful energy. The children's joy is tangible. My daughter has grown in leaps and bounds since starting as an Orange at Trilok last fall. The diverse community has informed her rapid growth and made my husband and me feel as though we are part of something very special. read more

Being different is a double edged sword. First the cutting edge: Trilok School has some of the most innovative and child-centric instruction being offered in all of New York and quite possibly the country. I have a toddler and teenager enrolled who both are excelling beyond what even G&T schools deem possible for their respective age groups. And what's even better, they LOVE going to school. That goes a heck of a long way for me. But remember that pesky sword I mentioned at the top? Well, being different doesn't always vibe with parent expectations, particularly when it comes to communication, administrative structure, prowess, and knowhow, and some of the other basics that traditional schools have long since mastered. I say all this to say, Trilok is not perfect. No school is. If you can prioritize certain needs over others, this school can be an amazing opportunity for your family. If growing pains are beyond the pale for you, Trilok may or may not be your first choice. My hope is that you give this school a chance to grow into its destiny- to be a pillar of the community and a model for the American education system. read more

The teachers were good, and my son was loved and cared for. But the turnover was dizzying, the communications were horrific, and the school leadership was deceitful and disrespectful. We would have left earlier, but it was too late to find a spot elsewhere (you need to look a year in advance at co-op school and Dillon, etc). I had hoped to love it and really wanted to. I loved the idea of the yoga (they don't do it) and the Gandhian philosophy (total joke). Security was terrible in the building, and the school was not receptive to parental concerns, even when things were being stolen from the stroller room. They rent out a lot of spaces to other organizations and have no way of knowing who is in the building and might have access to areas where the kids are (for example). They had so many teachers leave, as well as development directors, curriculum directors, on and on. I asked them to let us know who people were (because there were so many new faces all the time) and they refused. You should also know that they post reviews of their school on websites like PATH and FG kids without disclosing that they actually run the school, pretending to be typical parents in the school. Each year about half the kids weren't returning. I'd find my 2 years old watching cartoons on a laptop alone in a room when I'd pick him up in the "afterschool" program. The field trips are to the same places each year (which is fine if you are there for 1-2 years, but otherwise not great.) Likewise they learn the same 4 or 5 songs and sing them year after year, whether they are 2, 3, 4 or 5 years old. and have been there for 4 years. They suggested to move my 2 year old up with the 3's. I was fine with that. But then the 4-5 yrs teacher quit, and he was with 5 year olds (i didn't like that because he was getting pushed around by bigger kids)- I only found out from my child. So many teachers left mid year, and left with HUGE drama. Sent emails to all of the parents outlining how horribly they were being treated and just up and quit without notice. It was crazy. They also were very dishonest about tuition deposits and refused to either apply them to the school tuition or return them at the end of the year. They don't care one bit about parents' concerns. There were so many things they lied about, and at end of the day I didn't want to send my kids somewhere I didn' t trust the school leadership. I would have loved to have my little one there when he was old enough and have my 2 kids there together but I just didn't trust them after the way they treated us, the other parents, the other teachers and their staff. read more

Unfortunately, our family cannot recommend Trilok and felt obligated to post this review to warn prospective families from sending their children to this school. Many other parents have wanted to post negative reviews, but feel there is a risk of their children being asked to leave the school as a reprisal before they can find an alternative school. Since our child no longer attends, we feel we can act on the broader community's behalf and, who knows, maybe Sudha (the Executive Director) will learn from this, delegate some control, and help take the school out of its tailspin. Here are some details for your reference if you are considering sending your child to Trilok: Administration - The school was founded by Sudha because at the time there really was a lack of good options in the neighborhood. She has definitely been a powerhouse in finding a good sized building and growing the school from nothing. That said, she has a serious case of founder-itis. She can't let go of the reigns and at this point she has started to suffocate the school. Over four principles have left in the past 3 years due to her working style. She has also chased away some amazing teachers with abusive behavior and micromanagement. In addition, there is a very low level of trust between the parents and Sudha. We never truly feel she is giving us an honest answer on just about anything related to our kids - everything was always bright and rosy even when we knew otherwise. She is assisted by her husband Anand from a finance perspective as well as other family members for curriculum advice, so it felt to us like the operations were handled too like a private family business, rather than hiring outside professionals and involving them in the effort to run the school, like most schools do. At times, it felt that our tuition was being used to subsidize her other pursuits with the Fusion Arts organization instead of going to educating our kids. For example, much of the supplies, books, toys, art materials and snacks at Trilok are donated by parents, and other classroom supplies are purchased out-of-pocket by teachers when they run out and Sudha will not replenish them with school funds. By contrast, our child's new school provides more arts and crafts materials as well as the morning snack fruit, so we can see more clearly where some of our tuition dollars are going. Teachers - This school has gotten lucky in that they have been able to hire some great teachers. The children develop strong relationships with them as well. The big problem is the school can't hold on to them. The parents have been told about the poor dynamic between the administration and the teachers, who are not trusted by Sudha to manage their classrooms independently, as they should be. As a result, parents sometimes are scrambling before the school year to find a different school because the teacher we thought we might get is no longer there. Also, with this turnover, some of the curriculum suffers. At the beginning of the year, art projects abound, we see the development in our kids, etc. By the end of the year, that's no longer happening, especially as supplies dwindle. Parent Community - This is a saving grace for the school. The parents really pull together and get involved on their children's behalf. Not through the Parent Teacher Organization, though, because Sudha runs that organization and tries to push her own ideas for the school, which doesn't really encourage parent participation. There is also a "House" system, with the classes divided into groups who rotate during the year- so one group of parents is responsible for certain fundraising and activities, and then that passes to the next "House" for the next 2 or 3 months. Unfortunately, this setup just doesn't seem to work well. We just get involved in our own classrooms because the parents get to know each other during the year. If you send your child here, your fellow parents will be a key resource to rely upon to ensure you have the experience you are looking for. Overall, there are still not a ton of great options for kids under 3 years old in Ft. Greene/Clinton Hill, so you may still opt send your child to Trilok. Your child will most likely be happy, but you will have some challenges that you will need to manage actively. There is less staffing, curriculum and support for older kids at Trilok, too, so when your child is old enough, send them to Dylan, the Co-op school, or one of the other great alternatives and you will see what a really good school can do for them. read more

My four year old has had a wonderful year at Trilok so far. We've been extremely happy with the entire experience - it is a warm, welcoming, and thoughtful place for him to learn and grow. Great combination of age-appropriate math, reading, etc as well as art, theater, gym, and music. Small, intimate classes with lots of attention (I even ran into the principal once while doing pick up and she knew exactly who my son was, commenting specifically about something he had been up to in the class). He loves going to school and we are so happy that we made this choice. I also loved that the admissions process was so low-key and welcoming - big relief over any of the other options that we explored. read more

Sudha, the principal and driving force of Trilok, is an amazing woman. She is all embracing. She is very creative and loving, and due to this, Trilok has wonderful attributes. Your child will feel protected, cared for, and stimulated. Everyone is included, and accepted. Sharing is a difficult concept for young kids but is learned with grace and spirit at Trilok. My child continues to take Classical Indian Dance lessons with Sudha even though she has graduated from Trilok. She enjoys performing in front of audiences, and practicing with her friends. While at Trilok, her first (and thankfully homey and positive) expereince of school, she made lasting friends, was potty trained, learned a wide variety of activities such as weaving, music, environmental concerns, planting, cooking, etc. I highly recommend Trilok for your toddler. read more

My two sons attend Trilok Preschool since 2011. Both boys have a wonderful experience. We have greatly benefited from the creative and academic curriculum that develops motor, social, and cognitive skills. "Special" activities that are part of daily classes but outside the assigned classroom variously include Lego building, weaving, dance, gardening, art, physical education, tai chi, yoga, etc. We found the school has strength in academic preparedness for preschoolers! Affordable and convenient, located in the heart of Clinton Hill and drawing families from around Brooklyn. read more

Our daughter has attended Trilok for several years and is in the class for older kids. She has access to an incredible educational experience: small class size, excellent teachers and the ability to be part of and responsibility to help build a community. There are precious few sources of alternative education, especially ones that are affordable and even fewer that balance academic rigor with a holistic approach to building character and community. Hundreds of kids and dozens of families are taking advantage of this great resource. If you have not looked into Trilok make sure that you do. If you are currently a family with kids in Trilok help us to support and grow the school. It has a solid foundation and tremendous potential. read more

Absolutely AMAZING! I am so impressed by the students, teachers and administrators here. This is what education should be. The building is bright and colorful, full of vibrant plants and natural artifacts. Unlike your "average" school where there are a spattering of arts offerings, students take multiple electives during the day. The electives are not diluted as is the case in many other schools. The middle school students for example are working on a Charlie Parker piece in music, they're dancing to Swan Lake in ballet, they're preparing routines for a gymnastic competition in gym class (and this was one days worth of classes!). The academics for the middle school students are tailored individually to meet the needs of and challenge each child. Throughout the academic day, children take math, literacy, social studies and science, but they also play chess, participate in guided current events studies and collaboratively work on an informational blog newsletter. The small class sizes allow for individual needs to be met and older students have numerous options for leadership roles within their school communities. Trilok is such an inspiring place, not only for younger children, but for middle school aged learners as well. read more

My son is 3 and is in his second year at Trilok, and it has been such a delight to see him grow emotionally and intellectually. The wonderful arts based vision of the school's creator, Sudha, pervades the school and the result is a rich, nurturing environment for curious, young minds. I particularly love the focus on meditation, dance, music, weaving, drawing and painting. The school has a beautiful, minimal feel to every room as well as two incredible rooftop playgrounds and one garden. I love dropping my son off every morning because I'm reminded every time what a great environment he spends his days in. The community of teachers, children, and parents are all a pleasure to know. My son has learned all the basics in letters and numbers and speech and motor development but most importantly, I'm confident that my little boy's emotional intelligence and his engagement with learning have a solid foundation. read more