Ellis Early Learning

Ellis Early Learning is a Boston early childhood education program that has served the city’s urban working families since 1885. It provides education and care for children from infancy through preschool in a warm, nurturing setting, and it supports children from across the socio-economic spectrum. The program describes itself as a local and national model for inclusive, equitable early education, and it ranks among the most socio-economically, racially and culturally diverse organizations serving Boston’s children.

Programs aim to engage, educate and empower, with a stated goal that every child thrives and every educator flourishes. The South End campus has two STEM labs designed to look like children’s playhouses, and all 22 classrooms, including infant rooms, receive weekly music classes through a partnership with the New England Conservatory. Staff reflect the families served, with about 90 percent identifying as women of color, and many have been at Ellis for years.

What to Know

• Ellis is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a distinction held by about 6 percent of programs.
• Boston Public Schools funds four Ellis preschool classrooms as part of the city’s public Pre-K.
• The waitlist has topped 1,200 children.