Kiddie Academy

by Susan Shalhoub

At Kiddie Academy of Longwood-Lake Mary and Kiddie Academy of Sanford-Heathrow, the educational team strives to inspire a lifetime love of learning in children. 

Owners Ted and Hilda Cockram praise the dedicated teachers who deliver Kiddie Academy’s outcome-based curriculum in a nurturing, creative, and safe environment. 

The rewards of working in such a positive setting are plentiful, says Karina Rodriguez, executive director.  

“The field of early childhood education, especially at Kiddie Academy, is a constant stream of seeing our  efforts achieve results,” says Karina. “Every day we come to work and see young minds shaped with new concepts, ideas, and pathways.”

At the award-winning Kiddie Academy, a comprehensive Life Essentials curriculum has been developed for a variety of learning styles. The curriculum focuses on developmental milestone-producing outcomes in these areas: Character, Confidence, Curiosity, Connection, Critical Thinking, and Creative Expression.

The schools offer programs tailored for infants from as young as six weeks to school-age children through the age of 12.

“Our teaching professionals are the foundation of Kiddie Academy and are valued here,” says Karina, who has been with the school for more than 12 years. 

Like Karina, several other staff members have been with Kiddie Academy for 10 years or more and are proud to be there.

The Cockrams always welcome those looking to make a career as educators, assistant educators, and support team members to come explore their facilities. The couple’s goal is to continue building a robust and well-rounded team for its students. And of course, new students are always welcome at their Kiddie Academy schools.

Kiddie Academy of Longwood-Lake Mary and Kiddie Academy of Sanford-Heathrow are both accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for young children. Half of the NAEYC-accredited schools in Central Florida are Kiddie Academies, which is just one example of how Kiddie Academy stands out as an educational child-care provider in our community.