Hilltop Early Learning Center

What Hilltop Early Learning Center does

Hilltop Early Learning Center is a nonprofit early childhood education facility located at 45 Clarendon Ave. in Columbus, Ohio, that opened in summer 2023. It provides free pre-kindergarten programming to income-eligible four-year-olds residing in three Hilltop neighborhood zip codes (43228, 43223, 43204), using the research-based Pre-K On My Way curriculum by Scholastic that aligns with Ohio's Early Learning Content Standards. The center operates year-round, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The business model is a public-private partnership. The City of Columbus funded a $25 million facility build, and ongoing operations are delivered through a multi-anchor partnership stack: Columbus Early Learning Centers serves as lead operator and managing partner handling HR, enrollment, and day-to-day operations; Nationwide Children's Hospital runs a nearly 3,000 sq ft on-site health center; Mid-Ohio Food Collective runs the food pantry; and Child Development Council of Franklin County, YMCA of Central Ohio, and Columbus City Schools deliver the licensed preschool education. Revenue comes primarily from government sources (Early Start Columbus, USDA CACFP) for income-eligible families up to 300% of the poverty line, with a private-pay tier available above that threshold.

The center differentiates itself with a whole-family support model that integrates free pre-K education with on-site healthcare, food security, and counseling services in a single location — a configuration described as first-of-its-kind in Columbus. Distribution is community-led, relying on referrals from healthcare providers and community organizations, word-of-mouth within Hilltop, and an online enrollment form. All education partners hold Ohio Step Up To Quality five-star ratings, Ohio's highest preschool quality designation.

Name

Hilltop Early Learning Center

Legal name

Hilltop Early Learning Center

Website

https://hilltopearlylearning.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hilltop Early Learning Center is a nonprofit, publicly funded pre-kindergarten facility in Columbus, Ohio that provides free pre-K to income-eligible Hilltop children alongside on-site healthcare, food security, and counseling through a multi-anchor public-private partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Educational Services (61), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Pre-kindergarten programs
• School-based healthcare
• Family support services
• Community preschool

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Early Education: Free pre-kindergarten program funded through government sources including Early Start Columbus and local government investment. Families meeting income requirements (300% below poverty line) in specific Hilltop zip codes (43228, 43223, 43204) receive free tuition. Private pay options available for families exceeding income requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hilltop Early Learning Center provides free, high-quality pre-kindergarten education for four-year-old children in the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, using the research-based Pre-K On My Way curriculum by Scholastic. The center operates a first-of-its-kind whole-family support model that integrates on-site primary healthcare through Nationwide Children's Hospital, food security resources via an on-site food pantry, counseling services, and classroom education within a single facility. Tuition is free for income-eligible families in zip codes 43228, 43223, and 43204, with private pay options available for families exceeding income thresholds.

Product overview

Hilltop Early Learning Center is a community-based early childhood education center offering a single unified pre-kindergarten program as its core offering. The center operates as a first-of-its-kind facility in Columbus, Ohio, combining free high-quality pre-k education (using the PreK On My Way curriculum by Scholastic) with integrated family support services including an on-site Nationwide Children's Hospital health center, food security resources through the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, and counseling services. External partner programs including Waterford Upstart, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, and Bright By Text extend learning support beyond the center. The center is open year-round and serves the Hilltop community with free enrollment for families meeting income requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Kindergarten Program Free pre-kindergarten program offering early childhood education for four-year-old children preparing to enter kindergarten. The center implements the research-based PreK On My Way curriculum created by Scholastic, aligned with Ohio's Early Learning Content Standards. The play-based approach focuses on cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development through a structured daily schedule including learning centers, circle time, small groups, outdoor play, meals, and rest time. Open year-round, Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Nationwide Children's Hospital School-Based Health Center On-site nearly 3,000 square foot full-service health center operated by Nationwide Children's Hospital providing primary care, vaccinations, mental health services, dental care, physicals, immunizations, blood work, asthma treatment, diabetes treatment, anxiety/depression/ADHD treatment, and routine preventative care to students and community members ages 0 to 21. Available year-round Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Food Security Resources Provides children with breakfast, lunch, and snacks during the school day, plus an on-site food pantry operated through the Mid-Ohio Food Collective offering dry goods, produce, and home essentials to anyone in the Hilltop community, regardless of enrollment status.
• Counseling Services Mental health and counseling services available to enrolled families and the broader Hilltop community, supporting children's social-emotional development and family wellbeing through integrated on-site support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows crucial brain development happens in the first five years of life and high quality pre-k sets children up for academic success
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered lead partner, core and minor.

• Columbus Early Learning Centerslead partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Lead partner and managing partner for the Hilltop Early Learning Center. Columbus Early Learning Centers is the longest-running early education and care provider in the Midwest. CELC handles HR recruiting, enrollment management, and day-to-day operations of the center.
• Nationwide Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Operates a nearly 3,000 square foot full-service health center on-site. Provides routine preventative care, physicals, immunizations, mental health services, blood work, asthma treatment, diabetes treatment, anxiety/depression/ADHD treatment, and more. Services available to all students and community members ages 0 to 21 year-round, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Child Development Council of Franklin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Education partner providing early childhood education and care to prepare children for kindergarten. Licensed separately as a preschool provider by Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services and/or Ohio Department of Education.
• YMCA of Central OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Education partner providing early childhood education and care to prepare children for kindergarten. Licensed separately as a preschool provider.
• Columbus City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Education partner providing early childhood education and care to prepare children for kindergarten. Also determines center closures for inclement weather.
• Mid-Ohio Food CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Provides food pantry services on-site through Mid-Ohio Food Collective, offering dry goods, produce, and other home needs for anyone in the Hilltop community.
• Childhood League CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Education partner providing early childhood education and care to prepare children for kindergarten.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• YMCA of Central Ohio: Core education partner at Hilltop ELC; one of the largest nonprofit early childhood education providers in central Ohio, with licensed preschool programs serving similar income-eligible families.
• Columbus Early Learning Centers: Lead partner and managing operator of Hilltop ELC; the longest-running early education and care provider in the Midwest, delivering free/subsidized pre-K and child care across Columbus with comparable curriculum and income-based eligibility models.
• Child Development Council of Franklin County: Core education partner at Hilltop ELC and a Head Start provider in the same Columbus geography; offers publicly subsidized early childhood education to income-eligible families.
• Childhood League Center: Core education partner at Hilltop ELC; Columbus-based nonprofit providing early childhood education and care, including programs for children with developmental needs.
• Brightside Academy: Ohio-focused nonprofit early childhood education provider offering subsidized pre-K and child care to low-income families, free from missing commodities in the country.

Emerging players

• KIPP Columbus: Columbus-based public charter school network serving a predominantly low-income student body; includes early childhood programming and competes for the same Pre-K-through-college public funding pipelines.

Broad incumbents

• Primrose Schools: Large national franchise operator of private pre-K and elementary programs with proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum; serves as a broad pricing/reference benchmark for premium early learning in suburban markets.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: Largest national provider of early childhood education and care in the U.S., running both center-based and employer-sponsored programs; serves as a broad incumbent for early learning scale and curriculum benchmarks.
• The Goddard School: National franchise of private play-based pre-K and early childhood programs with a STEM-focused curriculum; relevant benchmark for monetization of paid pre-K in adjacent Ohio suburbs.

Others

• Action for Children: Central Ohio child care resource and referral agency that connects families to subsidized providers; an ecosystem partner rather than a direct operator, but materially shapes Hilltop's family acquisition funnel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hilltop-early-learning-center

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hilltop Early Learning Center