Early Childhood Campus

Next Door’s Early Childhood Campus is located at 2545 N 29 Street in Milwaukee’s 53210 zip code area.  In 1989, the Helwig Foundation donated the 59,585 square foot, former Helwig Carbon factory building to Next Door.  The initial renovation of this former factory building was completed in 1992.  To make full use of all the available space within the center, major renovations were completed in 1996 and 2005-2007.

Next Door completed its “Building a Future for Children” capital campaign in 2007.    The fundraising commenced in 2003 and the first phase of this project was concluded in September 2005 with the opening of The Educare Center of Milwaukee.  The second phase, a major renovation of the Helwig Family Community Center was concluded in October 2007.

 HELWIG FAMILY COMMUNITY CENTER

 The newly remodeled Helwig Family Center was designed to better serve the community by:

• addressing health disparities by tripling the size of the Next Door Pediatrics, a health Clinic operated by Children’s Medical Group, an affiliate of Children’s Hospital and Health System;
• expanding community literacy through more visible and larger space for the Books for Kids Giving Library;
• providing additional renovated classroom and play space for the Next Door Charter School/Head Start;
• establishing a suite of offices for Special Education, including Speech Therapy and Play Therapy;
• developing a Youth leadership Training Center;
• improving job skills and strengthening parent/child relationships through the Soref Family Literacy Center;
• promoting safety with the addition of a sprinkler system throughout the building;
• promoting nutrition through the construction of a full-service kitchen facility to meet the age-appropriate nutritional needs of enrolled children;
• and providing fiscal savings with the improvement of energy efficiencies.

THE EDUCARE CENTER OF MILWAUKEE

Groundbreaking for The Educare Center of Milwaukee was on September 22, 2004.  All major construction activities were completed and the center opened in September 2005.  Educare Milwaukee is positioned adjacent to the Helwig Family Community Center in such a way that a seamless transition can occur between the two facilities.

The center provides the calm setting that early education and healthy child development require for predictable, effective and responsive care.  Within the building, the children can creatively play and learn by taking advantage of an abundance of large, intimate and open areas.

The building design features a common entrance/vestibule, security station, and welcoming family room with a large cupola or tall, windowed dome that allows sunlight to fill the piazza space. The entire center features numerous windows and glass doors that contribute to an authentic sense of spaciousness and light.

The classroom setups inside the Educare Center of Milwaukee facilitate smooth transitions for the very young students from one room to the next. The rooms share windows and doors with adjacent rooms, so that the children who transition within the building can continue to see their previous teachers and classmates, which helps develop a sense of security in times of change. The exterior façades are painted different pastel colors, and special color schemes on the floor and wall tiling are carried from classroom to classroom, as well as into outside hallways.  Each classroom is equipped with chairs, tables, and other developmentally appropriate equipment.

The Educare Center of Milwaukee also has a 2,000 square foot training center. The Training Center, located near the common entrance, accommodates interactive learning opportunities for as many as 75 staff members as well as serving as the site for parent development activities, staff meetings, and community gatherings.