Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has announced the opening of a new tuition-free preschool in Glendale, Arizona, marking a significant expansion of his nonprofit educational initiative. The new facility, Bezos Academy Glendale—Sahuaro Glenn, introduces a unique operational model for the region by sharing its campus with a retirement community, a move designed to foster intergenerational connections between students and senior citizens.
The school is situated on the grounds of the Glencroft Center for Modern Aging, a sprawling senior living community in suburban Phoenix. This location represents the second Bezos Academy to open in Glendale, following the fall 2025 launch of Bezos Academy Glendale—Desert Garden Park, which was established in partnership with the Glendale Elementary School District. The continued expansion into Arizona highlights the organization’s focus on regions where the demand for affordable, high-quality early childhood education far outstrips the current supply.
Bezos Academy, founded in 2020, operates as a nonprofit network of preschools offering a Montessori-inspired curriculum. The program is designed specifically for families who meet certain income requirements, providing full-day, year-round programming at no cost to the parents. By placing this latest school within a senior living center, the organization is doubling down on a social model that integrates early childhood development with senior engagement, creating a shared environment that benefits both ends of the age spectrum.
A preschool inside a retirement community
The decision to house Bezos Academy Glendale—Sahuaro Glenn at 6511 W. Alice Ave. is a deliberate choice to leverage the benefits of intergenerational living. While the concept of a preschool inside a retirement home may seem unconventional to some, it is a cornerstone of the Academy’s strategy to build community-centric educational spaces. The Glendale campus is slated for steady growth; it currently operates four classrooms, with plans to expand to five by the 2027–2028 school year, eventually reaching a total capacity of 100 students.
Under this arrangement, residents of the Glencroft Center for Modern Aging are invited to participate in the daily lives of the students. These volunteers can engage in a variety of roles, ranging from direct classroom support and assisting with arts and crafts programming to collaborating on community service projects. According to school leaders, this daily exposure to older adults helps children develop social-emotional skills, while providing the seniors with a renewed sense of purpose and vital social interaction.
This is not the first time the Bezos Academy has utilized this model. The network’s inaugural school, which opened in 2020 in Des Moines, Washington, was established within a facility provided by Wesley Homes, a nonprofit retirement community operator. Similarly, a campus in Dallas, Texas, is located on the grounds of the Presbyterian Village North senior living community.
