Meet the ACPS Partners: Little Scholars

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is fortunate to count dozens of dedicated businesses, community organizations and institutions of higher education as partners working with us each day to inspire students and address barriers to learning. 

The Meet the ACPS Partners feature aims to proudly thank our partner organizations. Through these question and answer style articles, ACPS also wants our school community to get to know who our partners are and the positive impact they have on our schools. Let us meet the partners:

Little Scholars, LLC

www.littlescholarsllc.com

Nicole Brown, Program Coordinator

Schools Served: Francis C. Hammond Middle School, Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School and Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School

Tell us about your organization. What is your mission statement? How do you work with ACPS students, families or staff?

Little Scholars creates opportunities to grow! We provide after school enrichment programs and summer camps to the students of ACPS at both schools and recreation centers. Our programs range from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to art to physical activity. 

How long has your organization been (officially/unofficially) partnering with ACPS?

We have been working with ACPS since 2018, although we worked with some ACPS schools individually before that time.

If you could describe the impact of your work with ACPS in three words or less, what would they be and why?

Opportunities to grow - while this is part of our mission statement, it nicely reflects the impact of our work with ACPS. Our programs allow students to grow academically and personally as they are introduced to new worlds, areas of interest and skills. Our teachers are able to grow through their work with a variety of students. The community is able to grow by giving families a safe, enriching place for their children to learn and spend time.

What is a recent bit of good news about your organization or a feel-good story that you can share about your work?

In 2024, Little Scholars worked with a professor at the University of Richmond to study the impact of our STEM classes on student attitudes toward STEM and STEM careers. The outcomes of the study were very positive. https://www.littlescholarsllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Study-of-Effectiveness-Summary.pdf

What is one thing most people might not know about your organization's work?

What sets us apart is our unique appeal to students who enjoy academic adventures like solving puzzles, creating structures, building with Legos, unraveling mysteries, drawing comics and having fun using their minds. Our classes are crafted and delivered by credentialed teachers to ensure a quality experience for each child. Our personalized approach allows us to provide fun, educational enrichment programs to our students with lesson plans that include interactive, hands-on activities that keep our children actively engaged in each lesson while having some choice in the direction of activities and creation of products. 

How can community members get involved and support your organization's collaborative efforts with ACPS?

If you are in the Alexandria area, have teaching experience and would like to make a positive impact on students at ACPS, come work with us. Little Scholars is always hiring. Visit https://www.littlescholarsllc.com/teachers/apply/ to submit your resume.