EARLY LEARNING CENTER

Welcome to the Augustana Early Learning Center

Augustana Early Learning Center (AELC) is a community outreach ministry of Augustana Lutheran Church with a vision to love children and inspire them to become engaged, emotionally-intelligent, and curious learners. Our center has provided nurturing childcare on Augustana Lutheran Church’s campus since 1971, and we are proud to continue to build on this legacy of excellence.

Our mission is to serve children and their families through high-quality, affordable care and education. We welcome children from diverse cultures, faith traditions, socioeconomic backgrounds, and national origins. We provide learning experiences that foster developmentally-appropriate growth and teach children to love themselves and others.

AELC Program Philosophy

Our philosophy involves offering a quality program within a developmentally appropriate framework. We believe that play is the primary vehicle through which young children learn. We offer a rich array of experiences and activities that are designed to foster self-discovery, autonomy, and freedom to learn and create within a secure environment. Activities are open-ended and non-competitive so that all children may experience success. We see the child as a whole, with needs in all developmental areas: physical, cognitive, social and emotional. We value diversity and promote curriculum and activities that affirm children of any race, religion or culture.