Los Niños Primero has entered its third decade of providing high-quality, Finnish-inspired school readiness to Latino students and their families. Rooted in Finland’s educational principles of ethics and collaboration, our programs foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students thrive. Growing from 17 children in 2001 to serving over 1,200 children, youth, and parents in 2024, our work positively impacts Latino families, public schools, and, most importantly, the students we serve.
The Numbers
Over 550 Latino Early Education Students
participated in our 2024 Summer Academic Program. During our second year embracing an innovative Finnish education model, we celebrated remarkable achievements in literacy and math. Over a 5 week period, students demonstrated a 15-point increase in literacy and a 22-point surge in math skills—clear evidence of the transformative power of our teaching approach.
This progress was measured through a mastery-based assessment tailored to each grade level. Using checklists grounded in the Georgia Early Learning Development Standards (GELDS) for preschool and pre-kindergarten, and the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for kindergarten through third grade, we evaluated students’ growth in four to five critical skills per grade.
These results underscore the effectiveness of our methodology and reaffirm our commitment to empowering young learners with the tools they need to thrive academically and beyond.
Over 300 Youth Volunteers
from Atlanta-area schools work in the classrooms with our Georgia-certified teachers throughout the year. In 2024, they generously gave the Atlanta community over 20,000 hours of service. The youth are students who represent 100 unique educational institutions.
21% of our Youth Volunteers were once enrolled in our preschool program. Their participation is a unique attribute that has proven to be essential to the well-being of our early education students. Their presence in the classroom allows our pre-school and elementary age students to connect with powerfully inspiring role models. They demonstrate their capacity for kindness daily while actively promoting leadership, intellectual curiosity, and pride in their culture.
290 Parents and Families
participated in our 2024 Summer Educational Program, where parent leadership fostered a supportive, empowering environment that actively engaged families and helped children thrive.
90% of our families participate in parent education and civic engagement programs.
In 2024, 41 Parent Coaches provided essential support to fellow parents across all our program locations, building a strong community of guidance and shared learning.