Love… It’s the small idea!

One small idea can change the world!- This is the place for your kids to have those ideas…

About Small Idea School

In 2005 Melissa and Kevin Guzman welcomed their first child, Kellyn Nohelia.  After teaching in the public schools for 5 years and having her first child bless the world, Melissa decided to take a year off to begin raising Kellyn.  When the time came for Melissa to rejoin the working world, she was confronted with many questions: How can any working person afford having a family in New York City? Who can I even trust to take care of my child? A problem she, and many other parents in her situation, faced was most day cares were open 8am to 6pm while her shift started at 7am. Furthermore, she would have to pay most of her paycheck to a day care or a nanny and have no finances to cope with everyday life. Melissa, pulling herself into action, spoke to parents at parks, museums, and gatherings.  After much research, she came up short.  She found that people relied heavily on family and friends to get their kids to and from daycare, help out on holidays, when their kids were sick, etc.  After visiting many daycares, in commercial settings and in homes, she realized she could make a more flexible human model for daycare.  Providing affordable quality childcare for working people was the small idea that eventually turned big. In 2006, our small idea was put into fruition.  Those children who made up our first crew are now in their first and second years of college! My how our small idea has grown!

About Melissa Guzman

Melissa Guzman has been an educator in New York City since 2000. In that time, she worked with children from their infancy to the fifth grade. She is a New York State certified teacher in Early Childhood Education. She holds Master’s Degrees in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Lehman College. She completed her undergraduate work at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. She is the founder and director of The Small Idea Early Learning Centers in Washington Heights. The centers offer dual language (Spanish/English) day care and preschool programs that are progressive and play based. Outside of the center, she works privately with English language learners of all ages, Spanish language learners of all ages, and children in need of math and literacy support in grades preK-3rd grade. She continually supports her former and current students through creating a network of alumni support and human connections.

Want to support Small Idea? Please follow this link to our GoFundMe and continued programming in 2024 and Beyond! https://gofund.me/aafc3d1f