First Discoveries Academy

Founded in 2008, First Discoveries began as a small, family-run school with a committment to creating amazing learning environments for young children.

Our program began as a very small preschool, serving just 7 children in a summer camp in South Tampa. Over the summer of 2008 and throughout the following school year, our program continued to grow with more children, more classrooms and more staff, until our South Tampa location reached a capacity of 90 children. How blessed we were to grow so quickly!
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In 2015, we expanded our program by adding a new location in the Brandon/Valrico area. Our new facility sits on one acre and features large, open classrooms and a huge playground.

Our early childhood programs serve toddlers, preschoolers, and VPK/PreK. For school age children, we offer afterschool care and an amazing summer camp program. We will offer kindergarten progams beginning in the 2016-2017 school year.

Serving Children and Families

Our goal is to serve children and famlies by creating amazing early childhood programs that are child-centered. We know that some families want half-day preschool programs, and others need care for the full day so they can work. We offer several different preschool schedules to meet the needs of all famlies.

We understand the need to provide affordable programs for famlies, so we offer both school year VPK and Summer VPK programs and we participate in the School Readiness program that provides child care vouchers for working families (learn more at www.elchc.org). Our kindergarten programs will accept the MacKay Scholarship and Step-up Scholarship. We also offer a limited number of scholarships to foster families and to the children of deployed military families.

So much more than just a day care, our early learning programs provide daily opportunities for children to grow and develop in a nurturing environment. We build, play, create and move … because we understand that young children are active learners that need to explore their world with all their senses.

As a parent, you want the best for your child, and so do we! Our programs offer:
Research-Based Curriculum and Highly Qualified Teachers so your child is prepared to succeed in school and in life!
An eco-healthy learning environment for healthier children and a healthier environment!
Family-centered program that collaborates with you so your child’s needs are always met!

​Our Staff

A great school begins with an amazing staff of dedicated, knowledgeable teachers. Our founder and owner is Cindy McConnell, an early childhood professional who has dedicated her career to children and families. With a Masters degreee in Early Childhood and both State and National Certification in Early Childhood, she understands the importance of the early years in children’s development.

​We are proud of the many accomplishments of our staff members, from earning degrees and credentials to presenting at local and state conferences. All of our staff have basic training in child development and first aid/CPR, and our lead teachers have earned Child Development Associates (CDA) and degrees in Early Childhood.

Child Ages:

2 years - 12 years