The Marsico Institute for Early Learning and Literacy (MIELL), which is part of the Morgridge College of Education, is a research and social policy institute dedicated to improving learning environments and outcomes for children, birth to age 8.

At the Marsico Institute, we identify the best in early learning research, practice, and policy, and we deliver that information "just in time" to academics, practitioners, policymakers, and parents: the people who can create and implement changes to improve the lives of young children. We focus on early childhood because more than 93% of brain development occurs before the age of five. The quality of relationships and learning opportunities that young children experience can set the stage for what they will be able to accomplish throughout the rest of their lifetimes.