Concord Neighborhood Center

Our Teachers

Since we started providing child care more than a century ago, our teachers have always been compassionate and nurturing practitioners who understand early childhood development and how to foster a lifelong love of learning.

Our staff is tenured, diverse, and inclusive.

A lead teacher is assigned to each classroom, and all part-time teachers and staff are CDA-certified or pursuing a CDA or equivalent degree/credential.

Macy Hopper, Early Learning Program Director, holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Indianapolis. She spent four years at the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis where she ran a before and after school program and coordinated their schools-out camps on the Southside. Her time at the YMCA gave her both administrative and hands-on experience in the childcare field.

Philosophy

We believe that children learn best through play, concrete experiences, and positive interactions with their environment, their peers, and adults. Using individual, small, and whole group activities, plus a variety of experiences, we encourage children to develop to their full potential. This includes high self-esteem, respect for others property, self-sufficiency, and helpfulness at home and in their community. It is the teacher’s role to develop activities and curriculum goals that: • Promote the development of independence and self-discipline. • Encourage and foster the development of positive self-esteem and confidence. • To create an environment in which children, individually, feel free to participate as individuals, and yet maintain a social give and take for relationship with peers. • Promote the development of motor, cognitive, and creative skills in literacy and language development, math, science, art, and social studies. • Promote the development of sound health and nutrition practices. • Promote positive communication skills. • Promote positive social skills and an appreciation of cultural diversity.

Location

The Early Learning Center is located in a separate, modular classroom adjacent to the main facility. This means that students have a dedicated, age-appropriate and safe place to learn, play, and grow at all times.

Though Concord is a short walk from the heart of downtown Indianapolis, it is also conveniently located on S. Meridian Street and an easy drive for households farther South.

Located in IPS Zone 4, the Center provides out-of-school care to students enrolled at IPS #31, #34, #46, Adelante Schools, Abraham Lincoln Elementary School (in Perry Township), and Christel House Academy South. Many families who enroll their early learning children also enroll older siblings in the out-of-school program and continue engagement in this way, once their children age out.

About our program

Concord offers life-long and multi-generational support for South Indy families.

The Early Learning Program is a full-day program that offers a play-based, highly-engaging curriculum for Southside children ages 3-5 years. The program utilizes the Creative Curriculum, led by CDA-certified teachers, to teach foundational skills development and kindergarten-readiness through themed lessons and activity stations that support a diversity of abilities, interests, and needs.

But’s there’s so much more…

Concord’s Early Learning Program is one of five core programs that the Center offers. Our other programs include Youth Development, Family Social Services, Older Adult Enrichment and Healthcare Coordination and provide an array of additional resources to improve student and whole-family well-being. Many families are enrolled in more than one program, and many more choose to continue their engagement at the Center by enrolling their school-aged youth in our out-of-school programs! Come for the compassionate childcare, but stay for Family Nights, Open Gyms, field trips, and opportunities to reach whatever goals you might have!

Admissions

We are in the process of moving our enrollment process online, but until then, interested families should contact the Early Learning Center Director, Macy Hopper at: 317.637.4376 or [email protected] to begin the enrollment process, which begins with an orientation and in-take appointment.

We enroll year-round and maintain a waiting list if a classroom is full and/or for families which to secure a seat before their child turns 3 years of age.