Yonkers parent opens learning center to help kids with social and emotional skills

Andrea Vazquez developed Little Prodigies Remote Learning Center after seeing the social and emotional needs many children have these days.

News 12 Staff

Mar 15, 2021, 7:28 PM

Updated 1,289 days ago

Share:

A Yonkers parent who started a business to help others struggling during this time of remote learning is being recognized during Women’s History Month.
Andrea Vazquez developed Little Prodigies Remote Learning Center after seeing the social and emotional needs many children have these days.
The center is a place for parents to drop their children off for a full or half day to get their remote school work done.
The center has daily programs in art, music, STEM, coding, or language with the purpose of helping kids develop or discover their interests.
“It was really important for me to create a resource for parents and kids…knowing the social/emotional piece was missing for our kids and worrying about their mental health and adjustment to everything that is going on.”
The center has socially distanced desks, a mask requirement, temperature checks and more to keep kids safe. “We make sure the kids have those social interactions and help parents with that child care need and that remote learning need…the academic is important but also giving them a safe place to interact.”
The remote learning center is also paired with a nonprofit called “People United for Social Honor” or PUSH. It’s where students have the opportunity to sign up for therapy sessions after school and on weekends.
Vazquez, who is also a licensed social worker, hopes the center is not only helping students reach their potential in class but also in life.