Our Mission & History

Mission Statement

• Mi Escuelita Preschool teaches English to children from all cultures and prepares them for academic success.

Values

In all that we do, Mi Escuelita will:

• Treat all with dignity and respect,
• Teach to the needs and gifts of each child,
• Encourage our children to see a limitless world,
• Provide a joyous, loving and safe environment,
• Honor each child’s cultural heritage,
• Hold children at the center of every decision, and
• Embrace the magnitude of our responsibility for laying a strong educational foundation.

The Need for Mi Escuelita

Buckner Children

The odds for academic success do not favor the Hispanic child. Nationwide one in four Hispanic teens will drop out of high school. Compared to 74% of Anglo young adults only 57.5% of young Hispanics will go to college. In the 2010-2011 school year 51% of children entering kindergarten in the DISD were categorized as Limited English Proficient and 70% of children entering kindergarten were Hispanic. While the graduation rate for Hispanic students in DISD is 66.5%, LEP students have a graduation rate of 44% and the majority of LEP students are Hispanic. The long term impact of a lack of education on earning power is significant; 1,000 high school dropouts represent a loss of $13 million more dollars in annual earnings supporting the Texas economy.

Mi Escuelita’s approach to teaching English to its students is to immerse them in a language rich environment. It is not a bilingual educational setting; English is the classroom language. Children are encouraged to become bilingual with the goal that they will be proficient and literate in two languages. Because children attend Mi Escuelita during their language formation years, it is the opportune time for them to become comfortable using more than one language and they will retain this ability as they grow older.

Our History

Mi Escuelita Preschool, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization located in Dallas, Texas that provides a unique service to low-income families with children considered to be “at-risk.” While remaining strongly dedicated to the preservation of each child’s cultural heritage, Mi Escuelita’s primary focus is to provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment where non-English speaking children of preschool age are taught the English language, pre-reading, literacy, and social skills necessary to have a successful experience in both school and life.

Mi Escuelita Preschool began providing early childhood education to low income at-risk children in 1978. It was co-founded by Carolyn Strickland Helen Peña.   It serves children ages 2½ to 5 years old. Its sites are open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday offering both a full day educational program and extended care. Today Mi Escuelita has 22 classrooms at five centers throughout Dallas. It has a staff of 69 teachers and support staff and a corps of more than 148 community volunteers. In the 2011-2012 school year enrollment averaged 400 children with 208 children graduating in June 2012 to begin kindergarten in the fall.

Most of these children come from “working poor” families, scarcely surviving at or below poverty level.

Mi Escuelita operates both Head Start and private pay classrooms with just over 70% of children enrolled in Head Start classrooms. Private students’ families are assessed tuition on a flat fee of $300 per month or $75 per week.  Registration fees apply to private pay students only.