Active Learning Centers
Active Learning Centers is a privately held, family-owned childcare provider operating five physical centers in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, offering infant through school-age daycare, before/after-school care with district transportation, summer camp, and an integrated martial arts curriculum.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersEmmaus, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Active Learning Centers does
Active Learning Centers (ALC), DBA "Lehigh Valley Child Care & Pre-K," is a privately held, family-owned childcare provider operating five physical centers across the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania — Emmaus, Palmer Township, Trexlertown, Fogelsville, and Bethlehem Township. Founded between 2005 and 2013 (sources differ), the company employs 51–100 staff and serves families with children from infancy through school age across five core programs: Infants & Toddlers, Preschool & Pre-K, Before & After School Care, Summer Camp, and an integrated Martial Arts program. ALC originated from martial arts summer camps, with parents' demand for year-round care driving the transition into full-service childcare.
The operating model is direct-to-consumer family enrollment, supplemented by B2B-style transportation partnerships with six Lehigh Valley school districts (Easton, Nazareth Area, Wilson Area, Parkland, East Penn, and Bethlehem) that provide pickup and drop-off logistics feeding the before- and after-school care line. The curriculum layer includes a proprietary martial arts and character-development framework developed with strategic partner Lehigh Valley Martial Arts (LVMA), offered across all five locations. ALC holds a Keystone STARS 4-star quality rating — the highest tier in Pennsylvania's child care quality system — and positions itself as a screen-free, active-play environment that integrates character education rather than passive screen time.
Revenue is generated through recurring tuition fees for infant, toddler, preschool/pre-K, and before/after-school care, plus seasonal revenue from the summer camp program (11 weekly themed sessions) and martial arts instruction. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but the company accepts Pennsylvania Child Care Works state subsidies and runs enrollment promotions (e.g., 25% off first month, waived registration). Go-to-market is heavily local: a Wix-hosted marketing website, organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), blog content, parent testimonials, and direct phone/tour conversion. No proprietary technology platform, AI/ML products, or SaaS components are described — operations are services-led, physical-location-driven, and labor-intensive. No venture funding, M&A, or institutional ownership is indicated; the business is owner-operated with no public listing.
Active Learning Centers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Active Learning Centers
- Legal name
- Active Learning Centers
- Website
- https://alcchildcare.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Active Learning Centers is a privately held, family-owned childcare provider operating five physical centers in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, offering infant through school-age daycare, before/after-school care with district transportation, summer camp, and an integrated martial arts curriculum.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Active Learning Centers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Child Care Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL), Center-Based Infant Care (0–18 months) (EDACAGAA), Physical Activity & Motor Development Programs (Health-Focused) (EDACAMAI)
Keywords
Where Active Learning Centers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Emmaus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Active Learning Centers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Child Care Tuition/Fees: Recurring tuition fees for child care services including infant care, toddler care, preschool/pre-K, before and after school care, and summer camp programs. Parents pay on a recurring basis for enrolled children.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Active Learning Centers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Active Learning Centers operates five physical childcare centers in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, providing full-day child care, preschool, before and after school care, and summer camp programs for infants through school-age children. The company integrates a martial arts curriculum (developed with Lehigh Valley Martial Arts) and provides school transportation, healthy snacks, and homework support. Services are delivered in a screen-free environment and all centers hold a Keystone STARS 4 quality rating.
Product overview
Active Learning Centers operates as a childcare service provider with five Lehigh Valley locations (Bethlehem, Emmaus, Fogelsville, Palmer, and Trexlertown). The company offers a unified childcare platform comprising four core programs: Infants & Toddlers, Preschool & Pre-K, Before & After School Care, and Summer Camp. An integrated Martial Arts program, developed in partnership with Lehigh Valley Martial Arts (LVMA), is woven into the curriculum across all programs, providing character-building instruction with the Little Ninjas program for ages 3-5. The company also offers free downloadable educational resources for children. All locations hold a Keystone STARS 4-star quality rating and operate without televisions or video games, emphasizing active, screen-free learning.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Infants & Toddlers Program
Companies that use Active Learning Centers
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Active Learning Centers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Active Learning Centers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Lehigh Valley Martial Arts (LVMA)coreActive Learning Centers has integrated a dynamic martial arts curriculum into their programs through a valued partnership with Lehigh Valley Martial Arts (LVMA). This collaboration offers children a unique opportunity to grow in a fun, safe, and structured environment. The curriculum focuses on ten core character values and the 4 Laws of Concentration. The program is available across all ALC locations including Emmaus, Bethlehem Township, Palmer, Trexlertown, and Fogelsville.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Active Learning Centers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Primrose Schools: Franchised early childhood education provider offering infant care through pre-K and after-school programs with a proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum. Comparable on multi-age programming, curriculum differentiation, and tuition-based recurring revenue.
- The Goddard School: Franchised private preschool system focused on play-based, character- and skill-building curriculum for infants through pre-K. Closely comparable to ALC's full-day, full-age model and differentiated curriculum emphasis.
- Learning Care Group: Operates multiple early childhood education brands (Childtime, Tutor Time, La Petite Academy). Comparable as a multi-brand, multi-location private childcare operator with infant-through-pre-K and before/after-school programs serving similar family demographics.
- Cadence Education: Private operator of more than 200 early childhood education centers across the U.S. Comparable as a for-profit, multi-site childcare operator serving the same age range with similar before/after-school and summer programs.
- The Learning Experience: National franchised early childhood education brand with proprietary curriculum and character-building program. Comparable to ALC on differentiated curriculum (e.g., martial arts-style character values), full-day model, and franchise-driven expansion.
- New Horizon Academy: Privately held operator of 100+ childcare centers across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable as a multi-site, family-rooted childcare operator with full-day programs for infants through school-age children.
Regional players
- Chesterbrook Academy Schools: Mid-Atlantic region private preschool and childcare operator serving infants through school-age. Comparable because of regional overlap with ALC's Pennsylvania footprint and similar full-day, curriculum-driven early education model.
- YWCA of Bethlehem & Lehigh Valley (childcare programs): Regional nonprofit operator of licensed childcare and early learning programs in the Lehigh Valley. Comparable as a direct local competitor for ALC families, especially in the before/after-school and preschool segments, though nonprofit-owned.
Broad incumbents
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Largest U.S. operator of employer-sponsored and community early care and education programs. Comparable because it runs full-day childcare centers serving infants through school-age children with a similar tuition-based model, but at vastly greater scale and with a national footprint.
- KinderCare Learning Companies: National for-profit provider of early childhood education and before/after-school care. Directly comparable across ALC's full product suite — infant care, preschool, before/after school — though operating at significantly larger scale and across multiple states.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Active Learning Centers social profiles
Digital presenceActive Learning Centers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Active Learning Centers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Active Learning Centers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Active Learning Centers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Active Learning Centers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Active Learning Centers
What does Active Learning Centers do?
Active Learning Centers operates five physical childcare centers in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, providing full-day child care, preschool, before and after school care, and summer camp programs for infants through school-age children. The company integrates a martial arts curriculum (developed with Lehigh Valley Martial Arts) and provides school transportation, healthy snacks, and homework support. Services are delivered in a screen-free environment and all centers hold a Keystone STARS 4 quality rating.
Is Active Learning Centers a public or private company?
Active Learning Centers is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Active Learning Centers founded?
Active Learning Centers was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Active Learning Centers based?
Active Learning Centers is headquartered in Emmaus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Active Learning Centers make money?
One revenue line is on record: child Care Tuition/Fees.
Who are Active Learning Centers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Primrose Schools, The Goddard School, Learning Care Group, Cadence Education, The Learning Experience and New Horizon Academy. Regional players are Chesterbrook Academy Schools and YWCA of Bethlehem & Lehigh Valley (childcare programs). Broad incumbents are Bright Horizons Family Solutions and KinderCare Learning Companies.
Does Active Learning Centers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Active Learning Centers.
What industry is Active Learning Centers in?
Active Learning Centers's product category is Child Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAAAA, Full-Day Childcare Centers, with a secondary code of EDACABAL, Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.