A program’s mission statement builds on its vision statement and is the foundation for its philosophy, policies, procedures, and daily practice. A strong mission statement can unify staff and other stakeholders by declaring a common goal everyone can work toward. A thoughtfully composed mission statement also serves as a touchstone when those in charge of the program need guidance on how to proceed.

In reviewing the missions of dozens of early learning programs, I found that mission, vision, and philosophy statements were often commingled. A vision statement aspirationally explains how you’d like the world to be. A philosophy statement shares core values and principles. A mission statement is its own thing. It should explain “why we are here.” It should paint a straightforward and reality-based picture of the organization’s daily activities. Check out my 6-Tier Programming Consistency Hierarchy to see how all these pieces fit together.

Be Specific

Your program’s mission should be unique to your program, not some cut-and-paste boilerplate text found online. If your program focuses on child-led playful learning, ensure that’s in your statement. If your mission is to provide teacher-led projects and worksheets, be clear about that. If your daily work involves building strong bodies and brains through active play and explorations, work that into your mission.

Make your mission statement distinct and unique to your program.

Be Pithy

Mission statements should be short and focused. They need to be memorable if they are to guide daily program decisions and activities. My mission for Explorations Early Learning is “Promoting play, defending childhood, and empowering caregivers.” It guides all that I do as a trainer and early learning advocate. Walmart has over 10,000 locations and over 2 million employees. Their mission statement is only 9 words long: “to save people money so they can live better.”

In contrast, early learning mission statements can drone on and on, sentence after sentence. Part of this is due to the comingling with vision and philosophy statements. But there’s also a tendency to drift into content better suited for a policy. For example, one mission statement I reviewed contains content that should rightfully be part of a non-discrimination policy, “provide an appropriate atmosphere where children of all
races and creeds experience,” and a group management policy, “individuals with the right to learn in an environment of positive reinforcement.” There’s nothing wrong with those sentiments other than their location. They don’t belong in a mission statement.

Keep it short—a short sentence at most.

Be Clear

Mission statements should be written in simple language, avoiding jargon. This helps keep them pithy and also ensures they’re understood. A mission statement should clarify, not cloud. Here’s an example from another handbook I reviewed:

“Our mission is to maximize each child’s potential by providing an active, collaborative learning environment where children, families and educators become empowered for social, emotional, and academic success.”

The more I read it, the more unsure I am about what happens in this setting. I can only imagine what maximizing potential, becoming empowered, or having emotional success looks like during a three-year-old’s day at this program. Are they engaged in self-directed play or doing worksheets all day?

Wishy-washy mission statements make programming easier since there’s so much wiggle room. The daily practice in a program with the above mission may be vastly different from day to day or classroom to classroom. This isn’t a good thing.

Clarity brings focus.

Mission Statement Wrap Up

Over my 3+ decades as an early learning practitioner, trainer, and advocate, most complaints I’ve heard in discussions with caregivers and parents have revolved around program inconsistencies. Things like, “My coworkers do A, and I do B,” or, “When she moved into the preschool room, things were completely different,” or, “In the morning X, but with the afternoon staff, it’s all Y.”

The source of programmatic inconsistencies can often be traced to unfocused, long, and confusing mission statements. Crafting a mission statement that’s specific, pithy, and clear sets the stage for avoiding those inconsistencies. Such statements serve as solid foundations for the programs built upon them.

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