“Early childhood education is our platform; community is our mission.”
When Jessica Ford, president of Arkansas Community Foundation, reached out to Alexis Young to tell her that Little Bitty City Enrichment Center in De Queen had been selected as a Rising Nonprofit, Young’s first instinct was skepticism. The center hadn’t applied.
“I thought it was a scam,” she said. “Receiving recognition at this capacity didn’t seem real.”
It wasn’t a scam. Little Bitty City is one of nine Rising Nonprofits selected statewide, earning a $30,000 grant as part of the Foundation’s 50th anniversary celebration. It is recognition that someone outside southwest Arkansas had taken notice of the early childhood opportunities a small team had built for local children.
Young, who directs the De Queen site and works as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant, has spent years helping ensure children in Sevier County are ready for kindergarten. The center serves about 65 children through Head Start, Arkansas Better Chance, and private preschool, and offers pediatric therapy services on-site, accepting all children regardless of behavioral or developmental needs.
Little Bitty City partners with local schools to support kindergarten transitions, helping children arrive prepared academically, structurally, and emotionally. This community involvement and emphasis on early education has made Young a trusted voice on Excel by Eight’s Sevier County Alliance steering committee.
“Alexis and the team at Little Bitty City are an invaluable asset to the Sevier County Alliance,” said Beth Tody, Sevier County Regional Consultant for Excel by Eight. “They stay closely connected to families and have a real understanding of what young children and parents in our community need. Alexis is always willing to collaborate, share insight, and be part of solutions, and that kind of leadership strengthens early childhood efforts across Sevier County.”
With the facility at capacity, the $30,000 will go toward community engagement, a celebratory event for families, and expanded visibility in Sevier County.
“Early childhood education is our platform; community is our mission,” Young said. “This is a go-ahead for us to continue building and pouring into this community.”
