Preparing students today to lead tomorrow

We foster creativity, independence, social development skills and more at MarrKens Learning Academy!

  • AFFORDABLE RATES

  • PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM

  • NUTRITIOUS MEALS

  • STEM ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Contact Us

About

MarrKens Learning Academy, formerly known as The Vital Link Private School has served the Raleigh community for 60 years. We believe that all children have special talents and innate abilities that make them unique. In the early years, the trend was to allow young children to play and learn through play. However, here at MarrKens Learning Academy, we find it important to provide children with pre-reading and pre-numeracy skills as a foundation for their early childhood knowledge base as early as 18 months. Our motto is “preparing students today to lead tomorrow.”

Come Visit Us

We understand that choosing a child care center is a big decision for you and your family, which is why we invite you to come visit us and see firsthand what we have to offer. During your visit, we will give you a tour of our facilities, answer any questions you may have, and introduce you to our staff. We look forward to meeting you and your child(ren), to show you why MarrKens Learning Academy is the perfect choice for your childcare needs.

We help develop the skills needed to succeed

Pre-reading skills are the building blocks that enable children to learn to read and write. By introducing children to pre-reading skills, such as letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary building, we give them the tools they need to become confident and proficient readers.

Join a Fun filled learning environment

MarrKens Learning Academy is committed to nurturing students' individual talents and abilities, fostering a love of learning, and preparing them to become successful, well-rounded leaders.

Explore Our Summer Camp Program

From exciting outdoor activities and creative arts and crafts, our summer camp program offers a wide range of fun and engaging experiences. Our teachers are dedicated to providing individualized attention and support, helping each child reach their full potential and discover their unique strengths

Now Enrolling

Students ages 18 months to 5 years old

OUR PARENTS

“We love MarrKens Learning Academy! The teachers are amazing and communicate well regarding your child's progress and new learning activities.”

“MarrKens Learning Academy has made such a difference in the growth of my children. They are more confident and their vocabulary has increased exponentially. They love school so much its hard to get them to leave.”

“My son absolutely adores MLA and the incredible teaching staff. They’re extremely attentive to him and ensure he is loved and cared for daily. I appreciate the hands-on approach they have within the classroom. He continues to grow socially, emotionally, and cognitively each week. Forever grateful for this amazing daycare and its wonderful teachers!”

 FAQs

  • Our low student to teacher ratio provides smaller class sizes to give more one to one attention from teacher to student.

  • We are open 7:30am-5:30pm Monday through Friday.

  • We teach from the Creative Curriculum for young children. It is one of the approved curriculums for North Carolina. Additionally, we infuse African American History throughout core areas of study to enrich our children with contributions made by them.

  • As recommended by health standards, we frequently sanitize all surfaces including tables and chairs throughout the day. We launder bed linens daily, and use disposable eating utensils. The recent addition of the Zono Sanitation cabinet provides a greater level of sanitizing for our toys and other manipulatives. We continue to practice hand washing throughout the day and encourage giving each other personal space to move and interact.

  • We serve a morning snack, hot nutritious lunch and an afternoon snack. We take pride in preparing nutritious meals that include fresh daily servings of fruits and vegetables. We refrain from products that contain high-fructose corn syrup, high sodium content . Our meals are pork-free and prepared with olive oil.

  • Children wear uniforms which include navy pants for boys, navy jumpers for girls and yellow t-shirts.

  • Throughout the day pictures and text messages are sent. Monthly newsletters and frequent emails are delivered. We also provide quarterly report cards to inform parents of their child's progress throughout the year. Parents may also request parent-teacher conferences.

  • Once we are informed by parents of their child's dietary restrictions, we make accommodations to suit that child. For example, we are a nut-free school, we serve several types of milk, and have children who are dairy-free and gluten-free

  • As an independent private school, we have 2 -3 Fundraisers annually to help offset the rising cost of instructional materials, food, and other equipment. Parent, alumni and community support has enabled us to keep the cost of childcare affordable for working parents.

  • We serve children from 18 months through 5 years of age