Three Decades of Bright Beginnings at Harris Early Learning Center

By: Mark Kelly

The atmosphere at the Elmer and Glenda Harris Early Learning Center on the afternoon of April 10 can only be described as festive. That was fitting, as dozens of children — along with parents and grandparents, teachers, administrators, and staff — gathered at the HELC facility in downtown Birmingham to celebrate 30 years of delivering quality early care and education for children from six weeks through five years old.

“The Harris Early Learning Center has shaped countless lives of children and families,” said Susan Hubbard, dean of the College of Human Sciences at Auburn University. A partner in the founding of the nonprofit HELC, the university has managed the center since 2012. “This is a remarkable legacy that will continue to have a lasting impact.”

The legacy began with the center’s namesakes. Elmer Harris became CEO of Alabama Power in 1989, and soon afterward, Mrs. Harris founded the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO). Comprised of company volunteers, APSO initially focused primarily on projects to support education and children’s health and safety. In the early 1990s, the organization originated the concept of what became HELC, opened in September 1995. The center was named for the Harrises in 2002, following Mr. Harris’s retirement from Alabama Power.

Elmer Harris died in 2019, but Mrs. Harris was an honored guest at the short ceremony that preceded the 30-year celebration at HELC. Prior to the program, she responded quickly when asked to recall what prompted the idea for such an ambitious project.

“We saw the need among Alabama Power employees and other parents who worked in the downtown area,” she said. “When APSO proposed it, Elmer pulled a group together that got down to work and made it happen. A lot of research and thorough planning went into what it would take to build and sustain a center like this.

“It’s wonderful to see today how all of that is still paying off.”

Among the parents in attendance was Staci Brown Brooks, vice president of charitable giving for Alabama Power and president of the Alabama Power Foundation, which continues to support the work of HELC. Brooks was with her daughter, Charlotte, an HELC “alumnus.” While Charlotte made a beeline for the various snakes and lizards on display — other outdoor activities included face-painting, arts and crafts, and several bounce houses — her mom took a moment to reflect on the importance of the center to all of the families it has served.

“Charlotte entered kindergarten as a reader and I’m certain that was in part to the great foundation she received at Harris,” Brooks said. “It was so nice to return to see some of her first teachers.

“Harris is truly a treasure for working parents, especially those who work downtown. I’m proud the Foundation has continued to support it all these years, including a fund-raising donation match we were able to support in 2025.”

Currently serving more than 200 children, HELC’s state-of-the-art facilities are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Each of its 16 classrooms is staffed by two full-time educators, following a curriculum based in developmentally appropriate practice and ongoing research in early childhood education. In addition, HELC provides education and training for graduate and undergraduate college students who plan to work with young children and families.

The April 10 program also recognized HELC teachers Linda Howard, Melissa Taylor, Vickie Orr Wiley, and Donna Williams. The four have been with the center since the day it opened, and Wiley and Howard spoke after the program in terms that underscored their collective dedication.

“These have been the best years of my life,” said Wiley, who spent 10 years as a classroom teacher before transitioning to the new center in the fall of 1995. “It has been more than rewarding to be a part of what this place has done and will continue to do to shape the lives of these young children.”

Howard referred to an earlier conversation with Glenda Harris, who had called the initial vision for the center “a dream” she and her husband shared.

“Look around,” Howard said, indicating all of the activity. “Their dream truly became our reality.”