News & Media

‘This money will go a long way’: Scholten helps early learning center apply for federal funding. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten submitted 15 local projects for Community Project […]

Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) and First Steps Kent, two leaders in early childhood education, have partnered to help advance educational equity in West Michigan. On […]

    Affordable childcare options for working parents in Grand Rapids’ southeast neighborhoods are about to expand. IFF, a lender/developer for nonprofits, the Early Learning Neighborhood […]

  GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Every 2 seconds, someone around the world is forced from their home and wind up seeking asylum in a foreign land. […]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Three area nonprofits have raised $1.5 million to provide refugee families accessible, culturally aware early childhood education in March 2018. “The Hands […]

  GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges for educators and students across the state. Now, it is causing problems with […]

Black and brown children are being forgotten when it comes to early childhood education said Dr. Nkechy Ezeh, a professor of early childhood education for 23 […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For nearly seven years, West Michigan’s Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) has made providing early education opportunities to Grand Rapids families. Studies […]

  GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Nkechy Ezeh has always had a passion for advocacy. “For some reason I wanted a profession with that kind of power,” […]

(MLIVE) GRAND RAPIDS– With 350 out of 400 needed backpacks filled, a group focused on preschool learning and its volunteers are taking a weight off of […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., (WOOD) — Several community leaders and volunteers spent Tuesday afternoon packing backpacks for children in need. The Fill-A-Backpack event was put on by […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Several West Michigan schools are transitioning back to full-time in-person learning. The Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative is among them. ELNC offers one […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – More families in Kent County will be able to receive services that improve the health and school readiness of young children thanks […]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — New and expanded programs to promote the healthy development of children up to age 5 and connect their parents with resources will […]

Leadership Grand Rapids (LGR) is designed to be unlike any other leadership program, where instead of analyzing leadership tactics and principles, participants are asked to use […]

Kids with parents who have low literacy skills, have a 72% chance of landing in the lowest reading levels themselves, according to ProLiteracy. Low literacy is […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – Over the past eight years the Connecting with Community Awards have highlighted great organizations, businesses and individuals in West Michigan. They […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) It’s important to shine a spotlight on great organizations in the West Michigan community. Collaborations between dedicated groups of people that are […]

Grand Rapids, Mich.- The Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a non-profit organization, has received a $5.55 million, four year grant from the W.K. Kellogg […]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded a four-year, $5.5 million grant to a local nonprofit to increase access to high quality early […]

Healthy Living – Eat Right, Play and Learn!Thank you GR Drive for leading the discussion with our parents and children!  

Lt. Governor Brian Calley officially dedicated our playground today and read to our Preschoolers in our outdoor classroom.Thank you Lt. Governor for understanding the importance of […]

Today the Lt. Governor Calley took time out of his busy schedule to visit ELNC Preschool and to wish our preschooler a Happy New School Year. […]

This is why over 300 community members helped ELNC build a Playground last June! Thank you Amway and KaBoom!      

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – School might have already started but it’s not too late to enroll for preschool at Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative. The link […]

The Frey Foundation, a family foundation committed to working together to make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, organizations and communities has just awarded […]

Another Super Hero joins in the fight to offset the negative impact on the early development of children living in environments that are stressed because of […]

We all know that Success Starts Early!  As high quality preschool is one of the most critical factors that determines a child’s success, we at First Steps […]

An old, broken down playground on the southwest side of Grand Rapids, Mich. taunted neighborhood children with thoughts of unrealized fun for more than two years. […]

Thanks to a $10,000 donation from the Chemical Bank Foundation, one more ELNC Preschool Classroom will be well supplied and ready to go on the first […]

ELNC received a MAJOR gift of $20,000 from Doug and Nancy Slade through the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. We appreciate this gift and the message it […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – After long anticipation the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative cut the opening ribbon on their new playground. Led by KaBOOM!, Amway brought in over 150 […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Kids on Grand Rapids’ southwest side will be getting a new playground today. More than 300 volunteers from Amway, Early Learning Neighborhood […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – Congratulations to the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) for winning this year’s Connecting with Community Award. ELNC was established in 2011 to bring […]

( http://woodtv.com/2015/04/10/early-education-where-it-matters-most/ ) GRAND RAPIDS, Mich (WOOD) — The link between early childhood education and a better life is undeniable. Studies have shown that children who don’t […]

A big ELNC Thank you to State Representatives: Amanda Price, Tom Hooker and Ken Yonker, Ben Greene (Aid for Chris Afendoulis) and Adam Erber (Aid for […]

ELNC partners with Grand Rapids Community College Pre School Laboratory School to promote literacy in our neighborhood. Thank you JaneAnn Benson and GRCC Preschool Lab staff. […]

ELNC Preschoolers, parents, staff and community members designing our new playground!! Join on us on Build Day – June 12th! We need you!!  

http://woodtv.com/…/…/early-education-where-it-matters-most/ GRAND RAPIDS, Mich (WOOD) — The link between early childhood education and a better life is undeniable. Studies have shown that children who don’t receive […]

BREAKING NEWSS!! ELNC has just learned that through a unique partnership between KaBOOM!, a national non-profit, and the Amway Corporation, children attending our Early Learning Center […]

ELNC Partner Advisory Council’s March 2015 Professional Development – Engaging Residents and Children in Advocacy. Thank you Professor Eric K. Foster!  

ELNC is one of the finalist for the WOOD TV 8 Seventh Annual Connecting with Community Awards. WOOD TV 8 will feature our collaboration in a […]

  Dr. Nkechy Ekere Ezeh met with Jennifer Pascua Co-Host WZZM TV 13 to discuss ELNC’s effort to prevent Summer Learning Loss. Did you know that during […]

by Monica Scott GRAND RAPIDS, MI – For three years, the Roosevelt Child Development Center has sat vacant in the family-oriented Roosevelt Park neighborhood. But this […]

by Monica Scott GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A tuition-free preschool will open this fall in the heart of the Roosevelt Park neighborhood to help ensure children […]

by Monica Scott GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative today opened the first in an expected series of free “Little Schools or La Escuelitas” focused […]

By: John Wofford ‘13 Members of the Aquinas College School of Education often describe what’s called “the Aquinas Difference:” the distinct learning opportunities, passionate faculty, and practical approach […]

by Monica Scott GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Grand Rapids school board tonight unanimously approved a lease agreement with theEarly Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) to operate a […]

By Heidi Stukkie   When Dr. Nkechy Ezeh was growing up in Nigeria as a child, they didn’t have any early childhood learning opportunities like they do […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (August 6, 2012) – OtterBase, a leading supplemental staffing company, today announced that it has selected Amway as its client of choice to […]

June 2012- A blossoming partnership between The Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) and AVANCE (ah-vahn-ceh) will give high-need Grand Rapids families access to parent-child education services. […]

May 8, 2012 – Our own Dr. Nkechy Ezeh received the Christine Nelson Professional Award at the 2012 Service to Children Awards ceremony. Family Futures gives […]

  The W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan, has announced a four-year, $5 million grant to the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative in support of the organization’s efforts to improve […]