How can your child become empowered?

We understand that you want your kids to be academically ready to succeed in school, socially ready to build great friendships, and emotionally ready to face life challenges. We want to be your families partner helping you fulfil these goals.

“Books are a form of political action.
Books are knowledge.
Books are reflection.
Books change your mind.”
– Toni Morrison

“When you educate a woman, you set her free. Had I not had books and education in Mississippi, I would have believed that’s all there was.” –Oprah

“Scientists have discovered that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain unless it is done in play, in which it only takes 10 to 20 repetitions.”
– Dr. Karyn Purvis

Empowerment Station Academy is a licensed preschool center offering child care and early education curriculum for up to 90 children.

Our child care center helps children in the age range of Infant Care, 1 yr old, 2 yr old, 3 yr old, 4 yr old, 5 yr old Pre-Sch, 5-9 yr old, 1 -12 yr old.  We also provide participants with a subsidized childcare program. 

“Books are a form of political action.
Books are knowledge.
Books are reflection.
Books change your mind.”
– Toni Morrison

“When you educate a woman, you set her free. Had I not had books and education in Mississippi, I would have believed that’s all there was.” –Oprah

“Scientists have discovered that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain unless it is done in play, in which it only takes 10 to 20 repetitions.”
– Dr. Karyn Purvis

Empowerment Station Academy Interview - Martisa Francois

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What is going on right now at ESA?

ESA Graduates – May 17, 2022

What ages can attend the academy?

Infant

Our caring staff anticipate your infant’s needs by reading their cues effectively.  Infants grow and thrive when they bond with their caregivers.  Staff will share with parents details about your infant’s activities so you may keep them in a healthy routine. 

Toddler

Toddlers with plenty of chances to run, jump and climb grown into kids who are physically confident and more likely to be active and healthy adults.  We provide our toddlers with many opportunities to engage in gross motor play.   

Preschool

We help our preschool students harness the power of play.  Play assists the development of the brain’s structure and function, and promotes the acquisition of executive functions.  These are the “soft skills” that help ESA preschoolers be emotionally ready for kindergarten.

School Age

We don’t stop supporting our students once they enter school.  Our students continue to receive supports after school in our tutoring programs, homework help, and summer camps.   Local educators can easily identify students who have attended ESA. 

Infant

Our caring staff anticipate your infant’s needs by reading their cues effectively.  Infants grow and thrive when they bond with their caregivers.  Staff will share with parents details about your infant’s activities so you may keep them in a healthy routine. 

Toddler

Toddlers with plenty of chances to run, jump and climb grown into kids who are physically confident and more likely to be active and healthy adults.  We provide our toddlers with many opportunities to engage in gross motor play.   

Preschool

We help our preschool students harness the power of play.  Play assists the development of the brain’s structure and function, and promotes the acquisition of executive functions.  These are the “soft skills” that help ESA preschoolers be emotionally ready for kindergarten.

School Age

We don’t stop supporting our students once they enter school.  Our students continue to receive supports after school in our tutoring programs, homework help, and summer camps.   Local educators can easily identify students who have attended ESA. 

How can your child become empowered?

We understand that you want your kids to be academically ready to succeed in school, socially ready to build great friendships, and emotionally ready to face life challenges. We want to be your families partner helping you fulfil these goals.

Music

Music is integral to our daily routines at Empowerment Station Academy. Some learners greatly benefit from the inclusion of movement and rhythm which music provides. We may have the next B. B. King, Faith Hill, or Elvis Presley at our Academy!

Arts

Creativity is encouraged at Empowerment Station Academy daily. Children are offered opportunities to create their vision with a variety of materials. Fine motor skills are supported through arts and crafts. These same skills are later used to help our students be able to draw shapes, snip and cut, tie their shoes, and write full sentences.

Play

Our classrooms contain the best resources available for our students, and are organized so that students can access a variety of toys to address the different types of play. Parallel play, cooperative play, and dramatic play areas are available to our students based upon their developmental ages.
Empowerment Station Academy staff coordinate events regularly at our centers to allow children to celebrate together.

We regularly take our students on outings so they can learn more about their community and the community helpers that play a big role in our safety as citizens of our great state!
Even though the school year ends, education doesn't.  Our summer camps provide families with options for quality instruction and fun, organized activities for our school-age scholars. 

 Empowerment Station Academy's tutors can assist students who need to continue to grow their reading skills during our summer camps.  We also offer engaging and interactive outdoor activities at Summer Camp to keep kids moving!  
During our after-school program, students have access to quality instruction in our tutoring programs.

We partner with parents and local school districts to carryover skills from the classroom to the academy.  Our tutors are committed to helping build confidence in our students.

Music

Music is integral to our daily routines at Empowerment Station Academy. Some learners greatly benefit from the inclusion of movement and rhythm which music provides. We may have the next B. B. King, Faith Hill, or Elvis Presley at our Academy!

Arts

Creativity is encouraged at Empowerment Station Academy daily. Children are offered opportunities to create their vision with a variety of materials. Fine motor skills are supported through arts and crafts. These same skills are later used to help our students be able to draw shapes, snip and cut, tie their shoes, and write full sentences.

Play

Our classrooms contain the best resources available for our students, and are organized so that students can access a variety of toys to address the different types of play. Parallel play, cooperative play, and dramatic play areas are available to our students based upon their developmental ages.
Empowerment Station Academy staff coordinate events regularly at our centers to allow children to celebrate together.

We regularly take our students on outings so they can learn more about their community and the community helpers that play a big role in our safety as citizens of our great state!
Even though the school year ends, education doesn't.  Our summer camps provide families with options for quality instruction and fun, organized activities for our school-age scholars. 

 Empowerment Station Academy's tutors can assist students who need to continue to grow their reading skills during our summer camps.  We also offer engaging and interactive outdoor activities at Summer Camp to keep kids moving!  

What can your kids expect?

Outdoor Play

Our students have a blast on our developmentally appropriate playground.  The sound of children's laughter can be heard in our neighborhood!  

Arts and Crafts

One of our goals is to help our students become well-rounded individuals by exposing them to a variety of activities. Creating art is a wonderful to way to help them make a plan and see their final product.

Reading

Reading is the bedrock of the Academy.  We recognize that young children who have five books a day read to them enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than kids who were never read to.

Free Play

Free play cannot be underestimated.  Opportunities to engage in free play help children learn how to express their emotions and develop a sense of who they are. 

Music

It's no secret that young children respond positively to music.  Music ignites different areas in the brain, and helps the body and mind work together.  Exploring the creation of sounds through music and rhythm can inspire our young scholars! 

What can your kids expect?

Outdoor Play

Our students have a blast on our developmentally appropriate playground.  The sound of children's laughter can be heard in our neighborhood!  

Arts and Crafts

One of our goals is to help our students become well-rounded individuals by exposing them to a variety of activities. Creating art is a wonderful to way to help them make a plan and see their final product.

Reading

Reading is the bedrock of the Academy.  We recognize that young children who have five books a day read to them enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than kids who were never read to.

Free Play

Free play cannot be underestimated.  Opportunities to engage in free play help children learn how to express their emotions and develop a sense of who they are. 

Music

It's no secret that young children respond positively to music.  Music ignites different areas in the brain, and helps the body and mind work together.  Exploring the creation of sounds through music and rhythm can inspire our young scholars! 

Articles

Check out our latest articles

10 Fun Ways to Keep Toddlers Active

March 29, 2024

For parents and guardians, keeping a toddler engaged can be as challenging as it is crucial. Toddlers are balls of boundless energy, and finding age-appropriate activities to channel their enthusiasm productively is vital to their development. This post offers creative ideas for parents and early childhood educators looking for ways to keep little ones active and entertained.

1. Indoor Obstacle Course

Transform your living space into a playful maze with cushions, furniture, and toys. Create tunnels to crawl through, pillows to hop between, and a finish line to cross. This activity promotes physical activity and motor skills development.

Counting for Toddlers: Laying the Foundation for Early Math Learning

February 8, 2024

Teaching your toddler to count isn’t just a prelude to math homework nights—it’s a vital part of their early cognitive development. As parents and early educators, we are the countesses and counts of number narration, guiding curious little minds through a world quantified. But how can we effectively teach this fundamental skill?

The Importance of Teaching Toddlers How to Count

From distinguishing between ‘one’ cookie and ‘two’ apples, counting is an integral part of everyday life. Beyond its practical application, teaching toddlers to count nourishes their brain, setting seeds for later mathematical understanding and bolstering their budding language and communication skills.

 

What are people saying?

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Where are we located?

732 Whitfield St Starkville, MS 39759
30512 Hwy 41 Nettleton MS 38858

Starkville Location

Empowerment Station Starkville

732 Whitfield St,
Starkville, MS 39759

Nettleton

Who is our director?

Martisa Francois

Martisa Francois is our Academy’s Director and Owner. She is a wife, mom, educator, and life-long learner.  If you have met Martisa, you will quickly recognize her passion for educating children and her zest for life.  When visiting our two locations of Empowerment Station Academy, you may see Martisa providing training to staff, assisting a child with a scraped knee, or helping a child who is learning how to blend while reading. She wears many hats, but in all, she does she knows how to foster a sense of empowerment in others.

Martisa believes so strongly in empowering others that she created our core values.

"A capacity, and taste, for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others."
—Abraham Lincoln

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