A CELEBRATION OF LOVE. LEARN. LEAD.
Wilcox Academy’s 20-Year Anniversary
Honoring a legacy of nurturing children, supporting families, and building a stronger community.
LOVE.
We create a safe, nurturing environment where every child feels valued and supported.
LEARN.
Through play-based, research-driven curriculum, children explore, discover, and build strong foundations.
LEAD.
We empower children to grow into confident, independent thinkers ready for school and life.
FOUNDER’S MESSAGE
To Our Teachers, Families & Community
To every teacher who has ever knelt down to meet a child at eye level, to every parent who has prayed over a small face sleeping, to every neighbor and partner who believes that the youngest among us deserve the very best—this letter is for you.
More than twenty-six years ago, I made a promise—first as a teacher, then as a small business owner in the community I love. I promised that every child, regardless of where they were born or the income their family earns, would have access to a place where they are seen, celebrated, and given every tool they need to soar.
“Every child who walks through our doors is not a problem to be solved—they are a purpose to be fulfilled.”
I grew up in Central City—what many still call the 3rd Ward. I know what it means to come from a neighborhood where potential runs deep, but resources run thin. I have seen brilliant children overlooked before they even reach kindergarten. I have felt the weight of that—and the responsibility to do something about it.
Science tells us that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life—from conception through their second birthday—are the most critical window of brain development. In that time, more than one million new neural connections form every second. Language is being wired. Trust is being built or broken. A child is learning, at the deepest level, whether the world is safe—and whether they belong in it.
Wilcox Academy exists because that foundation matters. It deserves to be built with excellence, intention, and love. We are here to ensure that every child is known, every family is supported, and every beginning is met with the care it deserves.
Twenty years ago, I planted a seed. Today, it has grown into a community serving hundreds of families and thousands of children who carry a piece of Wilcox Academy into the world with them.
But this work is not finished. It is just beginning.
I invite you—teacher, parent, partner—to believe in what is possible and to build with us.
Because when children thrive, everything changes.
With love, faith, and an unshakeable belief in what is possible,
Rochelle Wilcox
Wilcox Academy Early Learning Centers, Founder & CEO
For Providers By Providers, Founder & CEO
20 Years of Growth
The timeline of Wilcox Academy of Early Learning will go here.
2004: Wilcox Academy opens as a Family Child Care (FCC) program in the Lower Ninth Ward, operating from the home of Rochelle and Whitman Wilcox IV.
AUGUST 2019: Wilcox Academy establishes its first Central City campus at 2013 Simon Bolivar Ave.
JULY 2021: Wilcox Academy purchases property at 2723 Freret St. for its first purpose-built facility. To commemorate the milestone, WilReachOne awards scholarships honoring Doris A. Brown, Rochelle Wilcox’s mother, advocate, and first teacher, as well as Olga Jackson, whose encouragement helped inspire the vision for Wilcox Academy.
AUGUST 2005: Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans, destroying the Wilcox family home and FCC along with much of the surrounding community.
2014: Wilcox Academy of Early Learning Too opens at 2500 S. Broad St., serving the Gert Town, Hoffman Triangle, and surrounding communities.
2023: Wilcox Academy closes its Central City campus at 2013 Simon Bolivar Ave.
JULY 2006: Wilcox Academy of Early Learning opens at 1504 N. Broad St. in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood, becoming one of the few childcare centers to reopen during the city’s post-Katrina recovery period.
JUNE 2009: Wilcox Academy of Early Learning relocates to 1678 N. Broad St. (WAEL Mid-City), establishing the organization's permanent headquarters and becoming the home of its mascot, Leo the Lion.
JULY 2023: The Louisiana Dept. of Education (LDOE) and Dream Teachers name Rochelle Wilcox the inaugural Early Childhood Leader of the Year.
A Community Built Together
To the people who make this work possible, this is for you.
TO OUR TEACHERS,
You Are the Heart of This Work
If you’re an educator searching for more than a job, and if you’re looking for a calling, I want you to know what kind of place Wilcox Academy is.
We believe teaching is a sacred act. The person who kneels beside a three-year-old learning to tie their shoes, who speaks gently to a child who is afraid, and who celebrates the first time a small hand forms a letter is doing some of the most important work on this earth.
At Wilcox Academy, you will be valued, not in the abstract, but in the ways that matter. Through professional development that invests in your growth. Through leadership that listens. Through a culture where your voice belongs in the room.
We are a team rooted in faith, guided by compassion, and committed to excellence. We laugh together. We pray together. We push each other higher.
If you want to do meaningful work in a community that needs you, and in a workplace that sees you, come home to Wilcox.
“We are not just preparing children for kindergarten. We are preparing them for life, and their life begins right here.”
TO OUR FAMILIES,
Your Child is Safe Here
I know what it costs, in trust, in vulnerability, and in resources, to place your child in someone else’s care. I know because I am a mother too. That is not something we take lightly.
When you bring your child to Wilcox Academy, you are bringing them into a place where they are loved like family, educated like scholars, and treated as the extraordinary human beings they already are.
Our teachers are not babysitters. They are trained early childhood professionals who understand development, read your child’s cues, and create environments where learning feels safe, joyful, and natural.
Our three centers are not interchangeable buildings. Each one is rooted in its neighborhood, shaped by its community, and committed to the families it serves.
We meet every family where they are and walk with you every step of the way.
Your child will leave here ready. Ready for school. Ready to ask questions. Ready to believe they belong in any room they walk into.
“We don’t just open our doors. We open our arms.”
TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS,
Let’s Continue Building Together
New Orleans is not just where we operate. It is why we operate. Its culture, resilience, and people are the reason Wilcox Academy exists. And no single organization changes a city alone.
If you lead a business, foundation, faith institution, government agency, or community organization, and you believe that investing in early childhood is one of the most impactful ways to shape the future, we should be in conversation.
We bring over twenty years of operational excellence, a proven track record of quality, and deep community trust. We bring leadership that advocates across classrooms, boardrooms, and policy spaces.
Most importantly, we bring partnership. Real partnership. Not transactional. Not performative. But rooted in shared purpose.
There is so much we can continue to build together. Let’s keep going.
Central City: A New Chapter
A look at the journey from groundbreaking to opening day, and beyond.
3D RENDERING
INTERIOR
GROUNDBREAKING
FRAMING
EXTERIOR
HARD-HAT TOURS
“We are building more than a center. We are building a place where children, families, and community can grow together.”
Wilcox Academy’s Central City location represents a continued investment in the community that shaped us.
From the first moments of breaking ground to the spaces now taking form, this new center reflects our ongoing commitment to children, families, and the future of early learning.
We look forward to welcoming families into this space soon.
Stories of Impact
The voices of our families, educators, and community partners reflect the impact of this work every day.
We’re currently gathering stories from across our community to share the impact of Wilcox Academy over the past 20 years.
In the meantime, we invite you to share your experience with us.
Celebrate With Us
We’re bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and honor 20 years of impact with events for families, partners, and friends of Wilcox Academy.
DAY, MON 00 • 00 AM - 00 PM
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LOCATION NAME • 123 EXAMPLE ST., NEW ORLEANS, LA 00000
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ALL WILCOX ACADEMY LOCATIONS • NEW ORLEANS, LA
Families are invited to join us at their child’s home center for a special time of celebration. Each location will host its own gathering, where children and caregivers can enjoy activities, creative play, music, and light refreshments.
A Celebration With Our Families
FRI, JUN 5 • 11 AM - 2 PM
LOCATION NAME • 123 EXAMPLE ST., NEW ORLEANS, LA 00000
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Don’t miss what’s next. Stay connected for upcoming events, celebrations, and important announcements from Wilcox Academy and the WilReachOne Foundation.
DAY, MON 00 • 00 AM - 00 PM
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LOCATION NAME • 123 EXAMPLE ST., NEW ORLEANS, LA 00000
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Extending Our Impact
Through the WilReachOne Foundation, Wilcox Academy continues to expand its mission beyond the classroom—investing in children, supporting families, and strengthening the communities we serve.
The Foundation has played a meaningful role in making our Central City location possible, helping to bring high-quality early learning to more families and neighborhoods across New Orleans. This work reflects a deeper commitment to access, equity, and opportunity for every child.
In addition to supporting growth, WilReachOne provides resources that extend well beyond early childhood, including alumni scholarships and programs designed to support students and families as they continue their educational journeys.
Through this ongoing work, the Foundation helps carry the Wilcox vision forward—ensuring that the impact of early learning continues long after a child leaves the classroom.