Stevens Early Learning Center

At a Glance

Thaddeus Stevens Early Learning Center is a standalone public early childhood school serving students in Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 within DC Public Schools. Located at 1050 21st Street NW in Ward 2's Golden Triangle neighborhood, the school welcomes young learners from across the District of Columbia. The historic Stevens School building underwent a complete modernization to create a purpose-built early learning environment designed specifically for the district's youngest students.

Stevens ELC operates with a philosophy that exploration, creativity, and play form the foundation for joyful learning experiences. The building also houses a partnership between DCPS and CentroNia, creating a birth-to-five continuum of care under one roof that serves families throughout the early childhood years.

What Parents Should Know

Stevens Early Learning Center enrolls students through the My School DC lottery system, which is the centralized enrollment process for all DCPS and participating public charter schools in Washington, DC. The school offers Equitable Access designated seats for both PK3 and PK4 applicants in this lottery, which means families should understand how these set-aside seats work when completing their applications.

As a standalone early childhood school serving only pre-kindergarten grades, families should plan for a transition to another school when their child is ready for kindergarten. This grade configuration allows Stevens to focus exclusively on early childhood education with staff, resources, and programming dedicated entirely to three- and four-year-old learners, but it does mean parents will need to participate in the My School DC lottery again for kindergarten placement.

The Golden Triangle location in Ward 2 places Stevens in a central downtown neighborhood, which may influence transportation considerations for families. Since the school draws students from across the entire District rather than serving a specific boundary area, families should consider commute times and transportation options when weighing their lottery preferences.

The partnership with CentroNia on-site creates a unique configuration where families may find continuity of location if they use both organizations' services, though families should contact the school directly to understand how the two programs interact and what this partnership means for enrollment and transitions between age groups.

Programs and Approach

Stevens Early Learning Center is part of DC Public Schools, which means enrollment happens through the My School DC common lottery application. Families interested in Stevens for the 2024-25 school year or beyond should submit their applications during the lottery window, typically in the winter for the following fall. The My School DC platform allows families to rank up to 12 school preferences, and the lottery algorithm matches students to schools based on those preferences and available seats.

The school's mission emphasizes that exploration, creativity, and play serve as the foundation for learning at this age. This play-based philosophy reflects current early childhood education research about how young children learn best through hands-on experiences and discovery. The modernized facility was designed to support this approach with spaces suited to active, engaged learning for pre-kindergarten students.

As a DCPS school, Stevens follows the district's early childhood curriculum framework and calendar. Families can expect the school day, calendar, and policies to align with other DCPS elementary schools, though programming is tailored specifically for the pre-kindergarten age group. Since this is a public school, there is no tuition cost for DC resident families.

Visiting and Contact

Stevens Early Learning Center is located at 1050 21st Street NW in the Golden Triangle neighborhood of downtown Washington, DC. Families interested in learning more about the school, scheduling a tour, or getting current enrollment information should visit the school's profile at https://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Thaddeus+Stevens+Early+Learning+Center or call 202-698-0677.