Play to Learn: Where Partnerships Nurture Nature
Help us build a new playground that inspires exploration and growth! Every dollar brings us closer, with 100% of donations going directly to the project. Colorado residents may qualify for the Colorado Childcare Contribution Tax Credit.
WE ARE FULLY ENROLLED FOR THE 25.26 SCHOOL YEAR.
Click the link below to enter the Lottery for the 26.27 school year starting in August!
Durango Early Learning Center (DELC) is a non-profit 501(c)3, early childhood center that was founded in 1978. DELC is a year-round program, serving children ages 18 months to 5 years and licensed for 55 students per day. We value all children as individuals and recognize that each child has something special to bring to our community. We believe that the education of young children is a collaborative process, encompassing the child, their family, the school, and the larger community. We put these philosophies into action through learning by:
- Implementing a play-based approach to learning, utilizing daily observations on each child’s interests and developmental needs to inform individualized learning experiences and adaptations to the classroom environment.
- Preparing children for kindergarten, and more importantly becoming functioning members of our larger community, is at the core of our social-emotional focus.
- Using a respectful and supportive approach to all aspects of behavior, striving to make connections with children to help them navigate the complicated nature of their emotions and interactions with others.
- Engaging families as active participants in their child’s first formal educational experience and require annual family hours. Families support the school through participation in classroom activities, purchasing of supplies and helping with facility upkeep.
- We cultivate programs to support diversity among our DELC community. One example is that we annually invite families to share their culture and traditions with their child’s class.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We respectfully acknowledge that Durango Early Learning Center is located in Durango, Colorado, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Ute (Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱), Diné (Navajo: Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), Hopi (Hopituh Shi-nu-mu) Pueblos, Apache and Zuni (Shiwi’ma) People who have been stewards of this land throughout generations. As early childhood care providers and educators of our future generation, it is our responsibility to acknowledge the impacts of the unkind acts that have led to the unfair and inappropriate treatment of people that traditionally lived here and still live here today. We lead by example and share stories of this land that are respectful to the people and the real history of this region. As we teach our children, we strive to nurture a culture that takes responsibility for our actions, and is curious, honest, and inclusive to the diverse backgrounds in our community. #HonorNativeLand
Call us:
970-259-1483
Find Us:
890 East Third Avenue
Durango, Colorado 81301
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