The Barbereux School is an independent. non-profit, early childhood school that has been serving Evanston and the surrounding communities for the past 90 years.

In 1921, Mame Barbereux-Parry established a studio to to teach young children music. The school evolved from this music group. Emma McConaughty founded the school in the 1930's in a storefront in downtown Evanston. In the 1950's the parents of the school, as members of The Barbereux Foundation, raised funds to build our current edifice and the school has been at 3333 Culver Street since 1958.

Inspired by the Reggio-Emilia approach to early childhood education, our curriculum places a strong emphasis on the arts, early literacy and differentiation. She believed that music should be an essential part of every young child’s educational experience. Today, Barbereux School emphasizes the visual arts and cognitive areas of learning, in addition to the innovative, music-centered program she established.