A Little About Us ...
Founded in 2008, First Discoveries began as a small, family-run school with a commitment 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!
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 preschoolers and VPK/PreK, and our Academy classroom serves kindergarten and first graders in a multi-age classroom. For school-age children, we offer afterschool care and an amazing summer camp program.
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Our South Tampa location continues to grow and expand, and they are excited to be moving to a newly renovated facility in the Spring of 2020.
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For almost 12 years, First Discoveries has been blessed to serve children and families throughout the community!
Serving Children & Families
Our goal is to serve children and families 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 families.
We understand the need to provide affordable programs for families, so we offer both school year VPK and Summer VPK programs and we participate in the School Readiness program that provides childcare vouchers for working families (learn more at www.elchc.org). Our kindergarten/primary mixed age classroom accepts the MacKay Scholarship, Gardiner and Step-up Scholarship. We also offer a limited number of scholarships to foster families and to the children of deployed military families.
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:​
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Research-Based Curriculum and Highly Qualified Teachers so your child is prepared to succeed in school and in life!
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An eco-healthy learning environment for healthier children and a healthier environment!
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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 degree in Early Childhood and both State and National Certification in Early Childhood, she understands the importance of the early years in children's development.
Jennifer Miller is our director. She holds a National CDA (Child Development Associate), and she is currently working on her Associates Degree in Early Childhood. Ms. Jennifer has taught young children from toddlers through VPK, and she loves to partner with families to create amazing programs for children!
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.
Give us a call
to learn more
about our amazing programs!
813-662-9290
In The
News:
Awarded National Accreditation!

After an extensive self-study process and on-site verification visit, we were awarded national accreditation through NAEYC. Nationally, only 10% of early childhood programs have earned this distinction!
October 2018
Staff Members to Present at Local ECE Conference

Ms. Cindy and Ms. Jennifer are presenting sessions at ELC VPK Conference. What a great opportunity to share our curriculum with other programs!​
February 2020
Eco-Healthy Certification!

Our Brandon/Valrico location has renewed our endorsement by the Children's Environmental Health Network! We have been continuously endorsed since
June 2015
