Nija Enterprise Daycare

I wish we could send out kid to this preschool/​daycare! It probably won’t work logistically for us (hence I can’t give it 5 stars b/​c I’m not a current parent) as it’s on the other side of the park, but we took the tour and I wanted to share my notes for other parents:
— Education:
First, they have a big and explicit emphasis on learning and preparing your kid for school when they get older. I had heard this was an issue parents had about many preschools and daycares; when their kid hits 4 and they have to go through the NYC school process, they feel like they and their kid are not prepared. This school is clearing looking at the present and the future.
— Contact & Staff:
The director is a woman named Winnie Osagie. Her email is nijaenterprise –at–
(replace –at– with @). There are at least 2 other staff, «education coordinators,» who went to City
College. All staff has field work experience.
— Age range:
They accept kids from 0 to 5 years.
–Hours & Late pickup:
Hours are 8am-​6pm. But they recognize that some parents might not be able to get there at that time, and they are looking into options for that scenario, late pickup, etc.
— Pricing:
They seem to be looking to build attendance based on their
new curriculum. Therefore, the price is just $ 210/​week, and the hours
are 8 to 6pm. (Might be more for infants.)
— The space:
It is clean, very well organized, and very inviting. It feels like a preschool when you walk in. Though it is technically an apartment, no one lives there; they use it as a business. There are two «classrooms,» an office, a kitchen, and a bathroom. There is no elevator, but it is just 2 flights up. Strollers can be parked in the apartment, and she is looking into basement space as well to make it easier on the parents.
— Curriculum:
They use the Sesame Workshop «Ready to Learn» Initiative, as one of their education coordinators used to work for Sesame Workshop. Just so there’s no confusion on this, there are no TV’s in the place. They believe kids can watch TV at home, they don’t need to do it there. The space is designed as a classroom setting and they believe in play-​based learning.
— Language:
They are doing English, Spanish and French. This is by
design and also because they have kids that come from homes where
these languages are spoken.
— Our reaction:
I was very impressed with Winnie, both on the phone and when we
visited. My husband was as well. She really seems to place an emphasis on the education aspect of daycare/​preschool. She seems very accessible and adaptable, and we also liked that their approach to conflict resolution between children was good. Our son loved the space, but I must admit he is easily impressed.
— They encourage people to set up a time to visit, and they want you
to bring your kid with you.