In the mid-eighties, with seven years of primary school teaching behind her, our founder Sue Stevely-Cole had an idea. She took her love for children, her passion for education and her delight in all things bear and created the very first Bear Park centre in St Heliers. Four years later, as she opened the doors to Bear Park number two, Sue realised she was onto something. Something big.

Inside the brick and weatherboard walls of Maskell Street, Sue’s intention was simple and deeply felt. To create a place that truly felt like home. Not childcare as a service, but a living environment where children could belong. Slowly and steadily, it took shape. Children were not simply supervised, they were seen. They moved with confidence, explored with curiosity, and were trusted to test ideas and make sense of the world around them. The days unfolded with purpose. Conversations mattered, and questions were welcomed.

The environment was thoughtfully prepared, materials chosen with intention and spaces designed to invite enquiry.

Relationships grounded everything. Learning was not rushed or reduced to outcomes. It was lived, experienced, and revisited.

Children were happy, confident and known. Within those walls, something enduring was forming, not just a centre, but a philosophy.

Sue had always been drawn to the qualities of the bear – comfort, loyalty and friendship without judgement – and could now see these qualities fast becoming the foundation of the Bear Park Community.

More than four decades later, across eleven distinctive centres throughout Auckland and Dunedin, Bear Park continues to evolve with the same clarity of purpose. Relationships remain at the heart. Children, teachers and whānau are connected through trust, respect and genuine partnership. Each centre carries its own character, yet all are grounded in thoughtfully prepared, richly resourced environments where learning is lived, not delivered.

The kindness of the bear still anchors us, and the authenticity of the child continues to guide us. The teacher, as researcher and collaborator, approaches each day with curiosity and open-mindedness.

Bear Park has grown, but the intention has not shifted. We remain committed to meaningful learning, deep connection and the belief that childhood deserves time, care and integrity. That commitment is what will carry us forward for many years to come.