United Community Center Ricardo Diaz Early Learning Academy

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The UCC Ricardo Diaz Early Learning Academy provides early childhood instruction, as well as support programs, to families on Milwaukee’s south side. The services accommodate children from 6 weeks to 3 years of age and provide instruction in topics ranging from art, music and reading to math and science.

Students who enter the building are greeted with toys and activities that help develop their motor skills and critical thinking. An indoor playground is visible to parents through glass windows on the first floor, a feature meant to keep kids active during the winter months. The playground has garage doors that can open to an outdoor playground when weather permits.

The classrooms are for mixed-age groups of up to eight children and two teachers. The second floor has classrooms for older students and can accommodate as many as 17 students in each class.

The classrooms all have large windows to let in daylight.

The learning center is dedicated to ensuring students are ready for kindergarten. Among the many resources it offers are a clinic formed through a partnership with the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. The school’s lower level includes a multipurpose room for parent meetings and information sessions, as well as two rooms for on-site partnerships with Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers and Ascension Seton Dental Clinic. Not only will parents be able to learn more about teaching children and preparing them for school; they also will have access to child care.