Little Scholars Early Learning Center
Little Scholars Early Learning Center is a family-owned operator of 7-8 early childhood education campuses in Lake County, Ohio, providing curriculum-based childcare for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years on a monthly recurring tuition model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersWilloughby, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Little Scholars Early Learning Center does
Little Scholars Early Learning Center is a privately held, family-owned operator of early childhood education campuses headquartered at 1865 N. Ridge Road, Painesville, Ohio. Founded in 1993 by Michelle Lewis in Willoughby, the company has expanded to 7-8 physical locations concentrated across Lake County, Ohio (Madison, Mentor, Willoughby, Painesville, Eastlake), serving children aged 6 weeks through 12 years Monday through Friday from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Ian Lewis, Michelle's son and a former US Marine with a Business degree, joined the business in 2013 and now co-leads operations alongside Executive Director Mandi Wells and Regional Director Brenda Burhenne.
The service portfolio is structured around age-tiered programs — Infant, Toddler, Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, Before & After School, Holiday Care, and the Little Explorers Camp summer program — all delivered through the Creative Curriculum framework, a research-backed, play-based pedagogical approach. Every campus has maintained Ohio's Step Up To Quality Gold rating since the program's inception in 2006. Family communication is operationalized through the third-party Procare mobile app, which provides daily photo, video, and messaging between parents and teachers. The Little Explorers Camp is co-delivered with the Lake County Park System, integrating field trips and natural-resource education.
The business model is direct-to-consumer subscription-recurring tuition, billed monthly, with pricing not publicly disclosed and varying by location, age group, and schedule. Revenue is highly fragmented across hundreds of individual families per campus, with no B2B contracts, no external investors, and no parent company. Distribution is exclusively through the physical campuses; the company has no online service component. The operator markets via its website, organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), downloadable parent-information packs, and community events such as career days and petting zoos. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology platforms, or patents are evidenced.
Little Scholars Early Learning Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Little Scholars Early Learning Center
- Legal name
- Little Scholars, Inc.
- Website
- https://littlescholars.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Little Scholars Early Learning Center is a family-owned operator of 7-8 early childhood education campuses in Lake County, Ohio, providing curriculum-based childcare for children aged 6 weeks to 12 years on a monthly recurring tuition model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Little Scholars Early Learning Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Education & Childcare
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare Centers (EDACAGAC)
Keywords
Where Little Scholars Early Learning Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Willoughby
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Little Scholars Early Learning Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Childcare Tuition Services: Full-day childcare services with age-specific programs from infant care through before/after school care for children 6 weeks to 12 years. Operating Monday to Friday, 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, with tuition charged on a recurring basis. Includes meals (breakfast, lunch, snack), curriculum-based learning, and enrichment activities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Customized childcare packages based on child's age and care schedule requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Little Scholars Early Learning Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Little Scholars Early Learning Center operates physical early-childhood education campuses in Lake County, Ohio, providing year-round licensed childcare and academic preparation for children ages 6 weeks through 12 years. Core offerings include infant, toddler, preschool, and Pre-K classrooms; before- and after-school programs; holiday care; and a summer camp called Little Explorers Camp, all delivered using the Creative Curriculum.
Product overview
Little Scholars Early Learning Center operates as a single unified early childhood education center offering tiered, age-specific programs spanning from infancy (6 weeks) through school age (12 years). The core portfolio includes the Infant Program, Toddler Program, Preschool Program, Pre-Kindergarten Program, Before & After School Program, Holiday Care, and Little Explorers Camp (summer program). All programs are delivered using the Creative Curriculum framework, a research-backed, play-based educational approach that integrates literacy, math, science, and social-emotional development. The organization operates multiple campuses (7-8 locations in Lake County, Ohio) serving children Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Infant Program Licensed childcare and early education for children ages 6 weeks to 12 months, delivered in a safe, nurturing classroom environment using the Creative Curriculum. Designed for working parents of infants in Lake County, Ohio.
- Toddler Program Early childhood education and care for children ages 12 months to 2.5 years, focused on developmental milestones through play-based learning. Targeted at parents of toddlers in Lake County, Ohio.
- Preschool Program Structured preschool for children ages 2.5 to 4 years, delivered using the Creative Curriculum to prepare children for Pre-K and kindergarten. Targeted at families seeking early academic preparation.
- Pre-Kindergarten Program Pre-Kindergarten classroom for children ages 4 to 5 years, designed to build school-readiness skills ahead of elementary school entry. Targeted at families preparing their children for kindergarten.
- Before & After School Program Before- and after-school care for children ages 5 to 12, providing supervised transport, homework time, and enrichment activities. Designed for working parents of elementary-aged children.
- Holiday Care Drop-in childcare provided during school holidays and in-service days, giving working parents a safe option when local schools are closed.
- Little Explorers Camp Summer day camp for school-age children, offering themed activities, field trips, and enrichment experiences during summer break. Targeted at families needing full-day summer programming.
Quantifiable outcome
- All locations achieved and maintained Gold rating under Ohio's Step Up To Quality program since inception in 2006
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Little Scholars Early Learning Center
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Little Scholars Early Learning Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Little Scholars Early Learning Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Lake County Park SystemminorPartnership with Lake County's expansive park system for the Little Explorers Camp summer program. The 10-week camp incorporates diverse ecosystems and natural resources in Lake County, with field trips to local parks where campers receive Little Explorer's Bags filled with materials to explore and learn about the environment.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Little Scholars Early Learning Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cadence Education: Large multi-state operator of early childhood education centers. Overlapping product offering (infant through pre-K care), meaningfully larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Little Scholars.
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Public, large-scale provider of childcare, early education, and employer-sponsored care. Comparable to Little Scholars in core early-childhood offering but operates at very different scale and customer mix (employers + families).
Regional players
- Childcare Network: Regional operator of licensed childcare centers across the southern U.S. Comparable operating model — community-based, tuition-driven, infant through school-age — but geographically distinct from Little Scholars' Ohio footprint.
Direct peers
- KinderCare Learning Centers: Largest private early childhood education provider in the U.S., operating hundreds of community-based childcare centers. Direct comparable to Little Scholars' multi-site, curriculum-driven daycare model.
- La Petite Academy: Established U.S. childcare and preschool brand (now part of the KinderCare family) offering infant care through pre-K and school-age programs. Same core product and tuition-based delivery as Little Scholars.
- The Learning Experience: National franchise of early childhood education centers serving infants through pre-K with a proprietary curriculum. Same age-band core product and tuition-based model as Little Scholars, with franchise-driven geographic expansion.
- The Goddard School: Franchised private preschool system using a play-based, individualized curriculum. Directly comparable to Little Scholars' curriculum-based, multi-site delivery for infants through pre-K and beyond.
- Children of America: Private, multi-state early childhood education provider offering year-round childcare and preschool programs. Similar tuition-based, age-tiered offering serving working families.
- Primrose Schools: National franchise offering accredited early childhood education and care for infants through pre-K and after-schoolers. Comparable franchise-based, curriculum-led, tuition-based model.
Emerging players
- Lifetime Montessori: Smaller, privately held operator of Montessori-based early learning schools. Comparable age-band and parent value proposition (research-backed curriculum, prepared environment) but differentiated pedagogy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Little Scholars Early Learning Center social profiles
Digital presenceLittle Scholars Early Learning Center compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Little Scholars Early Learning Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Little Scholars Early Learning Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Little Scholars Early Learning Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Little Scholars Early Learning Center 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 Little Scholars Early Learning Center
What does Little Scholars Early Learning Center do?
Little Scholars Early Learning Center operates physical early-childhood education campuses in Lake County, Ohio, providing year-round licensed childcare and academic preparation for children ages 6 weeks through 12 years. Core offerings include infant, toddler, preschool, and Pre-K classrooms; before- and after-school programs; holiday care; and a summer camp called Little Explorers Camp, all delivered using the Creative Curriculum.
Is Little Scholars Early Learning Center a public or private company?
Little Scholars Early Learning Center is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Little Scholars Early Learning Center founded?
Little Scholars Early Learning Center was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Little Scholars Early Learning Center based?
Little Scholars Early Learning Center is headquartered in Willoughby, United States, in the North America region.
How does Little Scholars Early Learning Center make money?
One revenue line is on record: childcare Tuition Services.
Who are Little Scholars Early Learning Center's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cadence Education and Bright Horizons Family Solutions. Childcare Network is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are KinderCare Learning Centers, La Petite Academy, The Learning Experience, The Goddard School, Children of America and Primrose Schools. Lifetime Montessori is listed as an emerging player.
Does Little Scholars Early Learning Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Little Scholars Early Learning Center.
What industry is Little Scholars Early Learning Center in?
Little Scholars Early Learning Center's product category is Early Childhood Education & Childcare. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACABAL, Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers, with a secondary code of EDACABAA, General Preschools (Play-Based). Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 8351.