Early Childhood Center
Enrolling Now! Open House every Friday at 11:00 a.m.. Please call Wilmary at 212-218-0406 to register for the Open House or for more information.
The Neighborhood House’s award-winning Early Childhood Center provides an exceptional social, emotional and educational development experience and a wide range of integrated services in a beautiful setting for 141 preschool children ages 3 to 5 and their families. Our program is available at no cost to all children and families in our program, provided they meet the federal Head Start age and income requirements and live on the East Side of Manhattan, between 14th Street and 143rd Street, or on Roosevelt Island.
Our Early Childhood Center is a lab school for innovation and a national leader in the field of early childhood education and development. We are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and were selected by Social Impact Research (SIR) as one of the top seven programs in New York to successfully prepare at-risk preschool children for school. The core philosophy of our program is to address each child and family individually and tailor our interdisciplinary services to address the full range of strengths and needs so that each child can excel.
To submit an application to our Early Childhood Center, please click here.
Our Community
Our community is inclusive and reflects the diversity of our multicultural city and society. We are responsive to each family’s ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage and our Lenox Hill Neighborhood House staff reflect this commitment.
Our Teachers
Teachers in our Early Childhood Center are experienced, well-trained, patient and caring, and are experts in child development; many have been a part of our Early Childhood Center team for decades. Families work closely with their children's teachers to best meet the educational, social and emotional needs of each child. Each of our eight Lead Teachers hold or are in the process of earning a master’s degree, and every classroom is supported by bachelor's level Assistant Teachers.
Education
We use The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool, a comprehensive research-proven curriculum that helps preschool teachers to be their most effective while making learning exciting and relevant for every child and promoting children’s' progress in all developmental areas.
We recently implemented the Letterland literacy and phonological awareness curriculum. Letterland is a multisensory program that incorporate song, physical movement and stories that make the alphabet come to life. The program is especially supportive of dual language learners.
Family Support
Our Family Services Team of licensed master's level Social Workers and a consulting Child Psychologist provides support to all of our children and families. We address the whole child and family, from their health and nutrition to family dynamics and the successful transition to kindergarten.
We have a particular expertise in working with children with Special Needs. Support groups and educational workshops for families are available on a wide range of topics in English and in Spanish; our diverse staff speak many other languages as well, including American Sign Language, Bengali and Hindi.
Visual & Performing Arts
Our team of professional teaching artists work with children in a variety of disciplines, both in the classrooms and in our performing arts Auditorium. Working with our trained Visual and Performing Artists, the children learn about the visual arts, music concepts and expression, dance and movement concepts and drama. Through these classes, children learn gross motor skills such as jumping, balancing and body coordination as well as improving their ability to follow sequences—all while engaging with their imaginations. Throughout the year, the children showcase their work in performances in front of their classmates and families such as at the Harvest Festival and Winter Celebration.
Through our partnership with an organization called Cool Culture, children and families visit New York's museums and cultural institutions and receive free access to attend on their own.
Healthy Meals
Children in our Early Childhood Center receive three farm-to-table meals each day prepared by our in-house Food Services team. Children and families also enjoy access to health and nutrition workshops, led by Chefs from our acclaimed Teaching Kitchen program, that support children’s development and help them to understand the value of nutrition and good healthy eating habits. The Teaching Kitchen Chefs also provide quarterly healthy cooking demonstrations and cooking lessons for Early Childhood Center parents and guardians, preparing inexpensive healthy meals, including recipes the children enjoy from our farm-to-table food program.
Exercise & Play
Healthy exercise and play are of vital importance to preschoolers. Our children exercise in our gymnasium and learn to swim weekly using the Red Cross method in our beautiful pool. Click here to view photos of our exercise facilities.
In the fall of 2016 we were thrilled to unveil our state-of-the-art Environmental Playscape, a 7,500 square foot space that provides a wonderful environment for children to engage with nature, learn and play. Check out photos of our gorgeous Environmental Playscape here.
Innovation
Whether designing a new Science and Math Curriculum for Preschoolers with our partners at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, piloting new learning technologies with Sesame Street or undertaking research on executive functioning with university researchers, our Early Childhood Center is at the forefront of groundbreaking strategies to promote the learning and healthy development of children. In collaboration with neuroscientists from New York University and Hayes Greenfield, a critically acclaimed musician and educator, we piloted The Greenfield Method, a play-based educational curriculum that supports the development of executive function abilities and inhibitory control through the aspects of sound and silence. Click here to learn more about The Greenfield Method.
Our Classrooms
Each of our eight classrooms is designed to engage the students and enhance their educational experience. The classrooms feature new wooden floors, welcoming circular furniture, calming blue rugs and central heating and air conditioning. The room setup helps teachers to manage their classrooms more efficiently and helps children to feel relaxed and engaged in the classroom. Click here to view photos of our classrooms.
Partnerships
Our Early Childhood Center maintains numerous strategic partnerships with organizations in New York City. These partnerships are a core strength of our Early Childhood Center and support innovation in the field and improved outcomes for our families. Partnerships include SUNY College of Optometry; Weill Cornell Medicine Otolaryngology; Dr. Allison Gorman, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine; Healthy City Kids at New York-Presbyterian Hospital; NYU Dentistry; LSA Family Services; Good+Foundation; Cool Cultures; Department of Teaching and Learning, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development; Education Development Center, Early Childhood Research; NYU School of Communication and Speech Disorders; NYU Department of Occupational Therapy; New York Center for Child Development; and Bilingual Care.
A Wealth of Offerings
Children and families benefit from our wonderful teaching teams and social workers and other Lenox Hill Neighborhood House services including Visual & Performing Arts, Healthy Foods & Wellness and more.
Click here to read our September 2023 Head Start Public Annual Report.
To learn whether our Early Childhood Center is right for your child, to arrange for a tour or to learn about our eligibility requirements, please contact:
Wilmary Johnson
Administration Manager
212-218-0406
wjohnson@lenoxhill.org
To submit an application to our Early Childhood Center, please click here.