Mile High Early Learning Programs: Cultivating Potential and Championing Equity

Mile High Early Learning (MHEL) stands as Denver's largest and oldest provider of quality early care and education, with a 50-year history of closing the achievement gap for children who are farthest from resources. Founded in 1972, MHEL has evolved to meet the changing needs of the community, providing high-quality early care and education to over 50,000 children. MHEL ensures all children thrive by cultivating every child’s potential, engaging families, and championing our early learning workforce. MHEL serves more than 1,000 children and families annually.

A Holistic Approach to Early Childhood Education

MHEL's approach extends beyond simply increasing the number of child care slots. It focuses on delivering a holistic ecosystem of support that empowers and uplifts children, parents, and caregivers. This includes whole-child and parent supports, ensuring families have the resources they need to thrive.

Family Support and Resources

Through the 211 Help Center, families are connected to critical resources such as SNAP enrollment, free tax preparation services, universal pre-k assistance, and rental and utility assistance. The HIPPY Home Visitor Program further supports parents in their child's learning journey at home.

Investing in the Early Learning Workforce

MHEL provides training, accreditation scholarships, and salary subsidies to support caregivers and improve the quality of child care programs. MHEL received a grant to scale evidence-based practices in early childhood education and workforce development - specifically our Child Development Associate (CDA) training program - and will recruit, train, and place teachers in early childhood programs. MHEL’s CDA program provides the content training necessary to earn the foundational CDA credential, which allows a teacher to serve in a lead classroom position and earn higher wages. A new community facing staff position will build relationships within our communities and recruit students to become teachers, while also serving as a mentor. MHEL will offer paid internships for participants while they complete the 480 hours of classroom experience necessary to earn a CDA.

The Tamara M. Sparks Early Learning Center

On May 18, 2024, the Tamara M. Sparks Early Learning Center at Mile High United Way officially opened. Located at Mile High United Way’s headquarters on 711 Park Ave. West in Curtis Park, the center is operated by Mile High Early Learning and provides early care and education for nearly 60 children ages six weeks to 5 years. At least 70% of the slots are reserved for families eligible for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program. The center also provides workforce development opportunities for educators and wraparound support for families. Mile High United Way is committed to improving Colorado’s child care landscape. Mile High United Way converted its conference center into a best-in-class early childhood education center. The center has five rooms: two for infants, two for toddlers and one for preschool-age children and includes a state-of-the-art playground. To learn more about enrolling your child, contact our 211 Help Center by dialing 2-1-1.

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Family Engagement and Enrichment

The center holds monthly family engagements focused on nutrition, mental health, and seasonal celebrations. It also partners with Culture of Wellness to explore new foods each month and the Denver Zoo to enhance nature play.

The Rose on Colfax Early Learning Center

The grand opening of The Rose on Colfax Early Learning Center was celebrated on January 24, 2024. Located at 1510 Valentia Street, this state-of-the-art facility serves children ages 6 weeks to 5 years and includes preschool, toddler, and infant classrooms. It features over 2,000 square feet of covered outdoor play space for year-round gross motor activity.

STEM-Focused Early Childhood Education

MHEL received a $75,000 grant from Boeing in September 2025 to support the second year of our STEM-focused early childhood education program in partnership with Denver Zoo. Through “Nurturing Young Scientists Beyond the Classroom”, MHEL will support of the development of age-appropriate science skills in preschool students. MHEL will engage children with take-home STEM kits, zoo-themed exploration prompts, and family field assignments. Educators will receive training on fostering family involvement, using tools like conversation starters, monthly newsletters, and family-friendly STEM nights to bridge learning environments. Families will be empowered through accessible resources and multilingual support. This Boeing-funded program is designed with elements to engage the entire learning ecosystem: students, teachers, and families.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Mile High Early Learning’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is deeply embedded in our work. Our vision through all of our programming is that children, families, and staff of all racial, cultural, economic, and social backgrounds are joyfully welcomed into a learning community that prioritizes equity and finds strength in diversity. MHEL strives to fulfill our vision-to joyfully welcome everyone into our learning community, prioritize equity, and find strength in diversity.

Addressing Social Bias

MHEL recognizes the importance of addressing social bias from a young age. Our children are observing us and acting upon what they see. We know that they recognize unequal treatment based on skin color by age 2; demonstrate social bias by age 3; and recognize and act against racial injustice by ages 4 and 5. Our children and families come from 18 different countries and speak 30 different languages.

Advocacy and Systemic Change

Part of our work extends beyond the classroom. It’s speaking up when we see racism. It’s advocating for changes in laws and policies that ignore these institutional barriers. We do not yet live in a world where everyone is treated equally. We do not yet live in a world where the color of your skin doesn’t limit your destiny.

Historical Context and Evolution

MHEL had its beginnings when child care providers came together to create a consortium with the support of Mile High United Way and the City and County of Denver. In 1972 this consortium was incorporated as Mile High Child Care to provide affordable, accessible quality early childhood care and education for children from families with limited income. MHEL’s programs and scope of services have evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of the community and to incorporate the most recent knowledge from the early childhood field. As a Head Start delegate through Denver Great Kids for over 20 years, and as a Head Start grantee since 2021, MHEL delivers critically needed health and social services to complement its high quality early education program. MHEL collaborated with other agencies to offer Early Head Start (EHS) to a limited number of children before becoming an EHS grantee in 2017. Since that time MHEL has received two additional EHS grants to expand its successful EHS/Child Care Partnership program to serve more young children in Denver and the surrounding counties.

Montessori-Inspired Approach

Mile High Early Learning provides high quality early care and education with a focus on serving the most vulnerable children and families. Using a Montessori inspired approach, children develop social competency, a habit of concentration, initiative and persistence, pride in the physical environment and a life-long joy of learning - all qualities which engender school success and responsible and engaged citizens. With Head Start and Early Head Start programming, Mile High Early Learning offers critically needed health, family support, and social services.

Strategic Planning and Improvement

The Montgomery County Children's Alliance partnered with School Readiness Consulting (SRC) to lead an intentional and community-driven planning process to design the plan. That process involved creating The Foundational Action Plan to provide a set of clear actions for the Montgomery County Children's Alliance to focus on and organize around. It is meant to build on the ongoing work and momentum that exists in order to address the real and big challenges young children and families face every day. SRC conducted a national landscape to illuminate gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities for which philanthropic investment could catalyze equitable improvements in K-2 practices at scale and aligned to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s existing strategy. This Strategic Refresh represents updates to Minnesota's 2020 strategic plan. Updates are more representative of the needs of the community as the state has reinvigorated, reshuffled, and reshaped the system’s priorities.

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