$170,000
Awarded to 12 Charter Schools That Shine In Community Engagement,
Educational Innovation, Student Empowerment, And Model Charters;
$10,000 Awarded To Two School
Volunteer Leaders
WASHINGTON, April 26,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Building Hope, the non-profit
leader in charter school facilities, financing, and services,
celebrated the remarkable achievements of leaders from 12
inspirational charter schools and two charter volunteer leaders
nationwide. Last night, at the conclusion of its third annual
Building Hope IMPACT Summit, Building Hope awarded a total of
$170,000 in grant awards. The grants
were presented in recognition of the outstanding contributions of
these schools in community engagement, educational innovation,
student empowerment, and charter school leadership.
"Each year the IMPACT Summit provides an opportunity to honor
and celebrate trailblazing charter schools, education leaders and
volunteers," said President and CEO of Building Hope William D.
Hansen. "Congratulations to our 2024 winners for their outstanding
contributions to the charter school community. Thank you for your
dedication to shaping the future of education, uplifting our
youth, and strengthening our nation."
The Building Hope IMPACT Summit provides an annual opportunity
for charter school leaders, authorizers, industry partners, and
associations to connect and collaborate on solutions to address the
most pressing challenges in public Kindergarten through 12th grade
education. The 2024 IMPACT Summit featured more than 30
thought-provoking presentations, interactive workshops, and
networking opportunities with the goal to inspire and empower
attendees to create positive change through quality, accessible
education.
"It's so inspiring to know that the future of education is
already here, at these innovative, engaging, and empowering
schools," said Building Hope's Chief Impact Officer and Chair of
the IMPACT Selection Committee Sherilyn
Moore. "We hope that by shining a light on the impact they
make on students, families, and communities, we inspire more of
these amazing schools to grow."
These IMPACT Award winners represent 12 different states and
U.S. territories from across the nation:
S. Joseph Bruno Charter Leadership Award
The $20,000 grant award winner
is:
HIVE Preparatory School, which serves 845 students in
Kindergarten through 8th grade in Miami,
Fla. HIVE Preparatory School values high expectations,
inquiry, versatility, and excellence. The student-centered,
adaptable learning environment emphasizes rigorous academic and
social preparation and promotes dignity, courtesy, discipline,
responsibility, and high expectations so that students achieve
academically and become productive citizens. The school adapts to
its stakeholders instead of requiring stakeholders to adapt to it,
changing standards, curricula, student demographics, teacher
quality and availability, and educational landscape to improve
enrollment, academic, and extracurricular outcomes.
"Our model ensures that students are well suited for the
ever-evolving landscape they will face in today's world," said HIVE
Preparatory School Director of Schools Carlos V. Gonzalez. "Rigorous academic and
social preparation become a blueprint for students to create and
attain their goals in life."
The $10,000 grant award winners
are:
Arizona Autism Charter Schools, Inc., which serves 875 students
in Kindergarten through 12th+ grade in Phoenix, Ariz. Arizona Autism Charter Schools
has highly trained teachers and staff who make high-quality,
specialized education accessible to students with autism and other
neuro-diversities. The school's innovative educational model embeds
behavioral, speech and other therapy supports into the classroom to
facilitate access to academics and data-driven instruction.
Students engage in developmentally appropriate academics and
hands-on STEAM programming through a curriculum designed to get
them workforce ready in high tech fields.
River City Science Academy, which serves 4,500 students in
Kindergarten through 12th grade in Jacksonville, Fla. River City Science Academy
applies a STEAM-based educational model and character education
that ensure all students reach their maximum potential in a
diverse, structured, and nurturing environment and are prepared for
a future in science, technology, engineering, and math. River City
Science Academy continually adapts to educational trends, becoming
increasingly data-driven, standards-based and financially secure,
without losing sight of its innovative vision and character
education. A driving force in the community, River City Science
Academy has mastered its approach to integrated learning while
maintaining a caring and collaborative culture.
Student Empowerment
The $20,000 grant award winner
is:
Monument Academy, which serves 127 students in 5th
through 8th grade in Washington, DC. With rigorous academic
programming and family-style apartment living, social-emotional
learning, mental health services, and opportunities for enrichment
and career exploration, Monument Academy is both school and home
for its students, 70% of whom are designated at-risk. Staff model
expectations through words, actions, and behaviors, and students
physically depart school with the necessary tools to access
resources they require as adults.
"As we plan for our expansion to high school, student input will
be taken into consideration every step of the way," said Monument
Academy CEO Dr. Jeffrey Grant. "Our
scholars are our greatest stakeholders, and our relationships have
created bonds that have proven to be simultaneously life-saving and
self-affirming."
The $10,000 grant award winners
are:
Siembra Leadership High School, which serves 385 students in
9th through 12th grade in Albuquerque, N.M. Siembra Leadership's
entrepreneurial focus prepares academically underserved students
for careers that reflect the values and needs of the community.
Students learn all core content through real-world community
projects, and all students participate in college dual enrollment
classes, internships, or a capstone project to launch their own
business. Students leave prepared for success in college and their
career, having grown socially, emotionally, and intellectually.
Tapestry Public Charter School, which serves 300 students in
6th through 12th grade in Doraville, Ga. Tapestry's dynamic curriculum
weaves together academic excellence, creative exploration, and
community engagement for a neurodivergent student population. The
school pairs general and special education teachers in each
classroom to offer students an inclusive, individualized learning
environment that engages both neurotypical students and those on
the autism spectrum. The academic and emotional attention received
prepares students to become creative builders of their own
futures.
Community Engagement
The $20,000 grant award winner
is:
Vimenti, which serves 274 students in Kindergarten through
6th grade in San Juan, Puerto
Rico. Located in a public housing community with five
generations of systemic poverty, Vimenti is a demonstration project
with a theory of change to break cycles of poverty and catalyze
community transformation. Vimenti's high-quality, dual-language
education provided through a rigorous, differentiated learning
model puts student and family needs and interests at the center of
the educational strategy. External mentoring and volunteer
opportunities support students and develop them as whole
citizens.
"When a child enrolls in Vimenti, the family unit is enrolled
and works with a dedicated case manager to set goals and action
plans around the barriers to economic mobility for a family," said
Vimenti Operations and HR Director Bárbara Rivera. "We are so proud
of our students for raising awareness of issues and contributing to
resolutions. Vimenti students not only respect themselves and
others, but also act as role models for their families, communities
and throughout the island of Puerto
Rico."
The $10,000 grant award winners
are:
Academy for Global Citizenship, which serves 479 students
in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade in Chicago, Ill. Academy for Global Citizenship
offers a dual language and international baccalaureate curriculum
that cultivates mindful leaders of action who positively impact
their communities and the world beyond. Through concept-driven
units of study and integration with the surrounding community,
students become environmentally and internationally minded. This
meaningful understanding of the local community and cultural
context fundamentally build their foundation for becoming civically
engaged, global citizens.
Amy Biehl High School, which
serves 212 students in 9th through 12th grade
in Albuquerque, N.M. Founded in
the spirit of a young scholar dedicated to social justice and
service, Amy Biehl High School
focuses its curriculum on service, college and career preparation,
and restorative justice, ensuring students excel academically and
engage in meaningful community service. Students' service-learning
prepares them to graduate civic-minded, college-bound, and
career-ready with the intellectual, social, and ethical habits to
improve their communities.
Education Innovation
The $20,000 grant award winner
is:
The School for Examining Essential Questions of
Sustainability (SEEQS) which serves 176 students in 6th
through 8th grade in Honolulu,
Hawai'i. SEEQS fosters a joy of learning through collaborative and
interdisciplinary investigation of questions essential to Hawai'i's
future. Education transcends the classroom, blending academic rigor
with environmental stewardship to shape empowered leaders who think
globally and act locally. SEEQS' supportive community and
sustainability-focused curriculum emphasize critical thinking,
leadership, and community advocacy.
"SEEQS is more than a school, it's a place where education is a
transformative journey, preparing students to become stewards of
planet Earth and healthy, effective citizens of the world," said
Executive Director Buffy
Cushman-Patz. "Our model is designed around intentional
community-building and rigorous core content learning, combined
with project and place-based experiences. Every student
participates in interdisciplinary projects and place-based courses
designed to help them examine complex essential questions of
sustainability that face our community and environment."
The $10,000 grant award winners
are:
MicroSociety Academy, which serves 309 students in Kindergarten
through 8th grade in Nashua, N.H.
MicroSociety empowers students to acquire the heart, knowledge, and
skills for thriving in today's society by collaboratively creating
and operating their own school-based microcosm of the real world.
Students follow a rigorous, competency-based core curriculum,
receive standards-based instruction with "real world" concepts, and
apply concepts in their own small society with guidance of teacher
facilitators. Ultimately, students learn how to create a community
that is safe and useful for everyone.
Northwest Passage High School, which serves 155 students 9th
through 12th+ grade in Coon Rapids,
Minn. Northwest Passage High School has created a curriculum
that combines advisory, student-centered, project-based learning,
interdisciplinary seminars, and academic overnight learning
expeditions for all students. Students build caring, inclusive,
adult relationships through long-term advisories and individualized
academic and social-emotional support. Northwest Passage fosters
creativity, innovation and life-long learning, while also
supporting post-secondary career and college readiness. Students
rekindle hope, explore the world, and seek their path while
building a community.
In March, Building Hope also honored Sujei DaSilva and Danielle Sell with the Shellie-Ann Braswell
Shine Brighter Awards for their volunteer leadership and meaningful
impact. This prestigious award acknowledges charter school
volunteers and their unwavering dedication to creating a brighter
future for students and communities. Both recipients were awarded a
$5,000 grant at the Summit in
recognition of their extraordinary service at their respective
schools: SouthSide Elementary Charter School in Providence, R.I., and Adeline Montessori
School in Oconomowoc, Wis.
The fourth annual IMPACT Awards application window will open in
the Fall of 2024, and winners will be announced in early 2025.
Visit buildinghope.org to learn about next year's Summit.
Building Hope is grateful for the sponsors of the 2024 IMPACT
Summit:
Platinum Sponsors
- Florida Charter Institute
- Risk Strategies
Gold Sponsors
- Dynamic Network Solutions
- Innovare
- Raymond James
Silver Sponsors
- Capital Trust Authority
- HJ Sims
- Key Construction
- MCN Build
- Paylocity
- PNC
- ShinePR
- Studio Twenty Seven Architecture
- Ziegler
About Building Hope
Building Hope is a national
non-profit that empowers advancements in education through our work
with charter schools providing unparalleled facility financing,
real estate development, and operational services. We believe a
facility should never be the barrier preventing a child from
attending a great school. During our 20-year history, Building Hope
has supported over $1 billion in the
development of school facilities. For more information, visit
www.buildinghope.org.
Media Contact
ShinePR for Building Hope
buildinghope@shinepr.com
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SOURCE Building Hope