Education &
start here
promise to families.
At Malaika Early Learning Center, we know childhood is a treasured time. We believe it is our responsibility to provide environments and experiences that capture the joys of childhood, nurture each child’s individual growth and development, and pave the way for success in school and life.
We offer a unique early education experience built on years of expertise, and on what working families have told us they want and need for their children…and for themselves.
Child care and early education isn’t just what we do – it’s who we are.
Education & Programs
DPI School Report Card
Enrollment Information
Wellness Assessment
State-of-the-art-facility
The Malaika center is a state-of-the-art learning facility, built in 2003 by local philanthropists Dennis and Kellie Mueller. In 2010-2019 Malaika received donations grant to purchase technology equipment and software for classrooms. In addition, the facility features:
- A bright, spacious, stimulating and beautifully-decorated interior
- Computer access in classrooms
- Security System
- Child-safe design with pinch-free doors throughout
- Enclosed outdoor playground with special equipment & soft surface
- Cafeteria with hot, nutritious meals served for breakfast & lunch
- Multi-purpose room for music education and other activities
Specially Designed With Your Children in Mind
Located on 1st Street and Auer Avenue in the northeast Milwaukee neighborhood of Harambee, Malaika Early Learning Center is an accredited childcare center and a private, Choice-eligible school for K4 through third grade that provides a safe, nurturing place for children to learn and grow. The concepts and design for the center were developed over a year’s time, based on a framework created by Dr. Gary Childrey, an African-American child psychologist and director of DePaul University’s Community Mental Health program, who has done extensive work in Cabrini Green and other impoverished areas of Chicago. Malaika’s early childhood learning program emulates the model programs proven to be the most effective.
We use a specially-designed early childhood curriculum that maximizes opportunities for early learning, featuring:
- Low student-teacher rations
- Highly-trained, skilled and caring staff
- High teacher expectations
- Comprehensive curriculum with enrichment activities
- Extensive family-involvement program
- Spacious, stimulating, child-appropriate facility
Special Program Features
Malaika has fully implemented the Creative Curriculum and Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards to provide consistency across the early care & education and school programs. All teachers have received 30 hours of training on how to use the Model Standards and Creative Curriculum. All lesson plans are reviewed weekly by administrative staff.
- Music education through the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
- Nature education in partnership with the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
- Bi-monthly educational field trips
- Introduction to computer-based learning
Malaika has received its accreditation from Cognia. Hot, nutritious meals are served daily for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Two buses transport children to-and-from school when their parents are unable to do so. To ensure that parents can afford to bring their children to the center, Malaika offers discounts and works with parents receiving Wisconsin Shares benefits.
Family Enrichment Program
Each school year, our parents complete an average of 85 hours of parent-involvement activities, such as:
- Parent training on topics including: discipline vs. punishment, stimulating child brain development, and maintaining healthy relationships
- Enhanced Childhood Head Start workshops
- Milwaukee Fatherhood Summit
- Parent/teacher conferences
- Family Fun Night
- Grandparents Day
- Fathers & Grandfathers Day
- Mothers & Grandmothers Day
- Women to Women
- Boys to Men
- School plays
- Harvest/Costume Parade
- Donuts for Dads
- Valentine Treats
- End-of-year picnic
- Field Trip: Milwaukee Public Museum
- Field Trip: Milwaukee County Zoo
- Field Trip: Barthel’s Fruit Farm
- Field Trip: Swan’s Pumpkin Farm
- Field Trip: UWM and Bucks basketball
- Field Trip: Trip to circus
While these activities are fun for parents and children, their benefit goes far beyond enjoyment. Children with involved parents are more likely to:
- Attend school regularly
- Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school
- Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs
- Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits
- Graduate and go on to post-secondary education
Benefits of parent-involvement activities for parents include:
- More confidence in the school
- Higher teacher expectations of their children
- Higher teacher opinions of themselves as parents
- More self-confidence
In addition, if low-income parents are involved in their children’s preschool program, those children at age 19 are:
- 40 percent MORE likely to graduate from high school
- 35 percent MORE likely to be employed
- 55 percent LESS likely to be on government assistance
- 40 percent LESS likely to have been arrested
HIGH EXPECTATIONS & GREAT OUTCOMES
Malaika has high expectations of the students and families we serve. We expect that:
- Children will exhibit age-appropriate social, emotional and cognitive skills
- Parents will understand their role in child development and participate in the child’s educational process
- Students will “graduate” from Malaika at or above grade level for their next stage of education
For evidence of Malaika’s effectiveness, examine the Head Start Outcomes survey results. Between fall 2007 and January 2008, Malaika 3- and 4-year-olds eligible for Head Start increased on every outcome measured, including:
- Self-awareness
- Speaking/listening
- Emergent literacy
- Writing
- Pre-academic math/science
- Music/art/creative play
- Fine motor skills
Each student at Malaika is assessed quarterly to determine his or her physical and emotional developmental needs and progress. This information is used by teachers in their day-to-day planning to ensure students’ needs are addressed. Ultimately, Malaika’s high quality early childhood education prepares children for elementary school success, with 95% of our students leaving Malaika at or above grade level for their next stage of education and 90% of our students going on to quality private, charter or public schools.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Malaika maintains strong relationships with schools – such as the Hope Schools, Martin Luther King Jr., Messmer Preparatory, Milwaukee Academy of Science, and St. Marcus Lutheran – that share Malaika’s educational and parental-involvement philosophy. Malaika hosts open houses where parents of Malaika students meet representatives of these schools and prepare to continue their children’s exemplary education. In the past, Malaika also hosted the monthly Hands Around First Street Block Club neighborhood meetings, maintaining our strong presence in the surrounding Harambee community.
ACCREDITATION
Only 10-15% of Milwaukee early childhood programs are accredited, and Malaika is part of that select group. Although the process is rigorous, costly and time-consuming, Malaika understands it’s important to demonstrate that Malaika provides the same high quality childcare to central city families that is typically available to more affluent families. Accreditation also validates Malaika’s educational model and serves to remind us that all children deserve high quality early childhood care. Malaika is accredited by AdvancED. The AdvancED standards are very similar to the NAEYC accreditation standards which ensure the quality of children’s daily experiences in early childhood programs and promote positive outcomes
“Research Spotlight on Parental Involvement in Education,” http://www.nea.org/tools/17360.htm “A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement” by Nancy Berla, Anne T. Henderson and National Committee for Citizens in Education.