LREI | Welcome to LREI

Welcome to LREI. We are so glad you’re here.

At LREI (Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School) we understand that students learn best when they are engaged. That’s why our 14-year progressive program is rooted in a fundamental love of learning and a connection to the real world. Our teachers, experts in their fields, encourage children to use their curiosity, compassion and imagination to think deeply and to participate in finding solutions to real problems.

As our founder Elisabeth Irwin put it,

we “take students out of the classroom and into the world.” Almost a century later, we’re committed to keeping her progressive ideals alive.

We understand that the world around us — particularly our ever-vibrant home, New York City — is the best place to learn. You’ll find our students asking questions about green design at the High Line, filming a documentary on Coney Island’s boardwalk and volunteering at the local food pantry we’ve partnered with for years.