Our Story
For more than 30 years, The Youth Academy has had one goal: to meet the growing need for childcare and to advocate for the working family.
An advocate for the working family
The Youth Academy was founded to meet the growing need for upscale childcare in Clarksville, and to be a genuine advocate for the working family. What began as one big idea has grown into two thriving campuses serving children from six weeks to twelve years old.
From the very beginning, our promise has been simple: Inspire. Encourage. Excel. We provide a secure, nurturing environment with extended hours and enriching programs, so children love to learn and parents have the flexibility they need.
How we got here
- 🌱1994
The Youth Academy opens
Founded to meet Clarksville’s growing need for quality childcare and to stand up for working families.
- 📍2020
A second campus at Exit 11
The Sango campus opens on S. Gateway Plaza Blvd, bringing extended-hour care to families in Sango and the surrounding area.
- 🎓2020
Private Kindergarten launches
A private kindergarten approved by the Tennessee Department of Education, taught by licensed teachers, with STEM, coding and robotics. Today it includes 1st grade.
- 🥇2020–2025
Voted Clarksville’s Best
Gold in Clarksville’s Best for Childcare / Preschool every year since 2020. Six years running.
- 🤝2023
A Best Place to Work
Voted one of the Best Places to Work in Clarksville. Great care starts with a great team.
- 🏗️2024
The Industrial Park campus
An 18-acre campus opens at Exit 8 in partnership with the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board. It offers 800 full-time spots, care from 5 a.m. to midnight, and discounted spots for industrial park employees and active-duty military families.
- ⭐Today
Two campuses, one promise
Caring for children from six weeks to twelve years old, with enrichment, private kindergarten & 1st grade, and before- and after-school care.
To meet the growing need for childcare and to advocate for the working family.
Inspire. Encourage. Excel.
Built around real families
Working families first
Extended hours, from 5 a.m. to midnight at our Exit 8 campus, so care fits real work schedules, including shift workers and military families.
Learning that goes further
Enrichment woven into every week, plus a state-approved private kindergarten & 1st grade program.
Rooted in Clarksville
Partnering with Montgomery County and local employers to make quality childcare easier to reach.
Hope Patonis
Owner, President & CEO
Hope leads The Youth Academy and has guided its growth, from launching a state-approved private kindergarten to partnering with Montgomery County on the Industrial Park campus. Under her leadership, The Youth Academy has been voted Clarksville’s Best Childcare / Preschool six years running.
🎧 Hear Hope on Clarksville ConversationsCome see it for yourself 🌈
The best way to know if The Youth Academy is right for your family is to visit. Tour our facility, meet our teachers, and feel the difference.
Schedule a Tour Today