Empowered Minds Academy
Donation protected
MY STORY
I decided to become a teacher because I wanted something different and beyond what I experienced when I attended school. I can still recall the teachers who napped at their desks, snapped profanities, and gave “F”s on the first day of school (as if we were dumb until proven smart). I also had a teacher who once shouted “Go Back to Africa!” to me and my classmates, and that was AP Government class!
I wanted to learn, return, and give back.
I enjoyed working as a Language Arts Teacher; it was the young people who fueled my work. I was also fortunate, during my middle school teaching experience, to work with a wonderful principal. I was a warrior teacher, along with others, and we did the best work we could within the system. It was challenging exhilarating work; I worked to empower learners to embrace reading, writing and thinking for their own sakes.
I taught for seven years within the Los Angeles Unified School District; 2 years at David Starr Jordan High School in Watts, Los Angeles and then 5 years at Los Angeles Academy Middle School. During this time period, I served as department chair, literacy coach, mentor teacher, and earned my National Board Certification during my last year.
When Eric and I became pregnant with our first daughter, we already had plans to homeschool. Moving to Durham was part of that transition. Leaving the classroom was a challenge because I enjoyed it so much, but I felt even more fulfilled to be at home with my children and I enjoyed being part of the NC homeschooling community for 13 years.
Finally, after 20 years as an educator, starting an independent school was rooted in wanting something different for my own children. I never thought I’d be a Founder and Head of School for a learner-driven community called Empowered Minds Academy.
THE EMA STORY, ALTHOUGH BRIEF
I founded EMA in the Fall of 2016, along with a brave and adventurous group of founding families. During our first two years, not much was done to reach out to the community. In fact, I didn’t really want many folks to know about EMA. This was a professional and personal experiment, that I felt, wasn’t quite ready to be greenlit. The focus during those first two years was on the development and refinement of the model and its systems.
Winter 2018, the question was: Is EMA ready?
The answer to that question was YES!
DONATE
WHY EMA?
We need environments that will help our Black learners grow in self-knowledge and subject-matter knowledge, environments that help our learners discover, practice and use their gifts. Our learners deserve the time, space, and freedom to realize their passions, their purpose, and their calling.
Instead of cultivating learners who function well only under authority, we aspire for all EMA Panthers to be liberated learners who cherish freedom and the responsibilities that come with it, learners who are empowered to uplift, support, and peer coach one another and design and lead their own learning experiences.
EMA aspires to be a learner-driven community that confronts our dire need to equip future leaders who will solve problems, create and provide jobs, build businesses, and non-profit organizations.
This is why we started this GOFUNDME page. While EMA was established in the Fall of 2016, EMA is launching this FALL 2018! We’d love your help!
OUR HOPE
We hope to raise $10,000 to purchase many things: Montessori learning materials, much-needed furniture that “fits” our ES learners, more books for our library, and more. Please feel free to view our NEEDS/WANTS/WISHES LIST .
EMA has been so fortunate to rent the space that housed what was Agape Corner School. We’ve been using the available furniture that was already in the space and donations. While I am so thankful for the tables, chairs, and desks, all of those pieces are not suitable for young learners. We would like to purchase adjustable desks and create a space that is intentional and inviting. Even though Panthers can move around and work where they choose, on cushions or bean bags, their desks will serve as their personal workspaces.
We also hope to acquire much needed hands-on Montessori materials. The bead + bead cabinet alone costs $600. These items have been on our wish list for quite a while. Once purchased, this tool will provide access to the deep practice and conceptual understanding of math concepts that EMA values and wants to provide. We would appreciate your help in finally taking this item off of our list.
If you'd like to make a purchase directly from our NEEDS/WANTS/WISHES LIST - THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Afterward, however, please let us know what you purchased and we'll remove it from the list.
DONATE
OUR WISH
If we meet our fundraising goal, we’d love to purchase everything on our wish list and take care of other operational expenses not listed. Having adjustable height desks is an investment that would be fantastic for our middle schoolers; this is furniture that EMA will not have to replace on an annual basis. And the couches would be awesome additions to the elementary and middle school workspaces as well.
WHY THE ASK?
EMA, at this time, does not operate with any excess cash flow or credit. We are a new small business. For the past two years, all of EMA’s income came from tuition payments and donations, and this went to rent, business insurance, and a limited amount went to materials and resources.
For me personally, EMA is my life calling and it is fueled by passion, the support of my husband and family, and an awesome group of friends, trailblazers, and our courageous EMA families.
Please help us launch into the school year so that we, EMA Guides and the team can focus on guiding our young learners to create and build a world-class learner-driven community.
With your help, 2018-2019 will surpass our previous two years in amazing ways!
WHAT IS EMA?
EMA is a learner-driven community where we believe that all learners have a calling to change the world.
1. We nurture and love Our Black Learners.
2. We have Guides, not teachers.
3. We have mixed-age workspaces, not classrooms.
4. We have Portfolios + Exhibitions, not grades.
5. We have Agreements and Covenants, not rules.
6. We ask questions, instead of lecturing.
7. No homework!
8. Hands-On + E-learning.
9. Learning is self-paced and travel is encouraged.
10. Apprenticeships begin in middle school.
Learn more about EMA HERE .
DONATE
PROUD TO BE ACTON ACADEMY AFFILIATES
EMA became part of the Acton Academy Affiliate Network in Fall 2017. The affiliate network is passionate about revolutionizing education, pursuing best practices, and have agreed to protect a learner-driven environment. Each affiliate follows their own methods in keeping with these commitments and varies based on the leadership at each school and the community they serve. For example, at EMA, we call ourselves Panthers. At EMA, instead of "Socratic Seminar", we use the terms Kemetic Conversation or Kemetic Dialogue Method, to reclaim this ancient method of teaching. And because we are passionate about serving Black learners and their families, we’ve also added the following statement to our educational philosophy: We believe that by un/dis-covering (with research, study, and direct contact), reclaiming (with due diligence and hard work), and reconnecting with our truth (by reaching back – “Sankofa”) we will better understand who we were, who we are, and who we must be.
If you have any questions you’d like to ask BEFORE donating, please feel free to contact me @ [email redacted].
Thank you for visiting our GOFUNDME page. Sizable donations are deeply appreciated, but please give what you can, and then please don’t stop there. Challenge a friend or family member to do the same.
I decided to become a teacher because I wanted something different and beyond what I experienced when I attended school. I can still recall the teachers who napped at their desks, snapped profanities, and gave “F”s on the first day of school (as if we were dumb until proven smart). I also had a teacher who once shouted “Go Back to Africa!” to me and my classmates, and that was AP Government class!
I wanted to learn, return, and give back.
I enjoyed working as a Language Arts Teacher; it was the young people who fueled my work. I was also fortunate, during my middle school teaching experience, to work with a wonderful principal. I was a warrior teacher, along with others, and we did the best work we could within the system. It was challenging exhilarating work; I worked to empower learners to embrace reading, writing and thinking for their own sakes.
I taught for seven years within the Los Angeles Unified School District; 2 years at David Starr Jordan High School in Watts, Los Angeles and then 5 years at Los Angeles Academy Middle School. During this time period, I served as department chair, literacy coach, mentor teacher, and earned my National Board Certification during my last year.
When Eric and I became pregnant with our first daughter, we already had plans to homeschool. Moving to Durham was part of that transition. Leaving the classroom was a challenge because I enjoyed it so much, but I felt even more fulfilled to be at home with my children and I enjoyed being part of the NC homeschooling community for 13 years.
Finally, after 20 years as an educator, starting an independent school was rooted in wanting something different for my own children. I never thought I’d be a Founder and Head of School for a learner-driven community called Empowered Minds Academy.
THE EMA STORY, ALTHOUGH BRIEF
I founded EMA in the Fall of 2016, along with a brave and adventurous group of founding families. During our first two years, not much was done to reach out to the community. In fact, I didn’t really want many folks to know about EMA. This was a professional and personal experiment, that I felt, wasn’t quite ready to be greenlit. The focus during those first two years was on the development and refinement of the model and its systems.
Winter 2018, the question was: Is EMA ready?
The answer to that question was YES!
DONATE
WHY EMA?
We need environments that will help our Black learners grow in self-knowledge and subject-matter knowledge, environments that help our learners discover, practice and use their gifts. Our learners deserve the time, space, and freedom to realize their passions, their purpose, and their calling.
Instead of cultivating learners who function well only under authority, we aspire for all EMA Panthers to be liberated learners who cherish freedom and the responsibilities that come with it, learners who are empowered to uplift, support, and peer coach one another and design and lead their own learning experiences.
EMA aspires to be a learner-driven community that confronts our dire need to equip future leaders who will solve problems, create and provide jobs, build businesses, and non-profit organizations.
This is why we started this GOFUNDME page. While EMA was established in the Fall of 2016, EMA is launching this FALL 2018! We’d love your help!
OUR HOPE
We hope to raise $10,000 to purchase many things: Montessori learning materials, much-needed furniture that “fits” our ES learners, more books for our library, and more. Please feel free to view our NEEDS/WANTS/WISHES LIST .
EMA has been so fortunate to rent the space that housed what was Agape Corner School. We’ve been using the available furniture that was already in the space and donations. While I am so thankful for the tables, chairs, and desks, all of those pieces are not suitable for young learners. We would like to purchase adjustable desks and create a space that is intentional and inviting. Even though Panthers can move around and work where they choose, on cushions or bean bags, their desks will serve as their personal workspaces.
We also hope to acquire much needed hands-on Montessori materials. The bead + bead cabinet alone costs $600. These items have been on our wish list for quite a while. Once purchased, this tool will provide access to the deep practice and conceptual understanding of math concepts that EMA values and wants to provide. We would appreciate your help in finally taking this item off of our list.
If you'd like to make a purchase directly from our NEEDS/WANTS/WISHES LIST - THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Afterward, however, please let us know what you purchased and we'll remove it from the list.
DONATE
OUR WISH
If we meet our fundraising goal, we’d love to purchase everything on our wish list and take care of other operational expenses not listed. Having adjustable height desks is an investment that would be fantastic for our middle schoolers; this is furniture that EMA will not have to replace on an annual basis. And the couches would be awesome additions to the elementary and middle school workspaces as well.
WHY THE ASK?
EMA, at this time, does not operate with any excess cash flow or credit. We are a new small business. For the past two years, all of EMA’s income came from tuition payments and donations, and this went to rent, business insurance, and a limited amount went to materials and resources.
For me personally, EMA is my life calling and it is fueled by passion, the support of my husband and family, and an awesome group of friends, trailblazers, and our courageous EMA families.
Please help us launch into the school year so that we, EMA Guides and the team can focus on guiding our young learners to create and build a world-class learner-driven community.
With your help, 2018-2019 will surpass our previous two years in amazing ways!
WHAT IS EMA?
EMA is a learner-driven community where we believe that all learners have a calling to change the world.
1. We nurture and love Our Black Learners.
2. We have Guides, not teachers.
3. We have mixed-age workspaces, not classrooms.
4. We have Portfolios + Exhibitions, not grades.
5. We have Agreements and Covenants, not rules.
6. We ask questions, instead of lecturing.
7. No homework!
8. Hands-On + E-learning.
9. Learning is self-paced and travel is encouraged.
10. Apprenticeships begin in middle school.
Learn more about EMA HERE .
DONATE
PROUD TO BE ACTON ACADEMY AFFILIATES
EMA became part of the Acton Academy Affiliate Network in Fall 2017. The affiliate network is passionate about revolutionizing education, pursuing best practices, and have agreed to protect a learner-driven environment. Each affiliate follows their own methods in keeping with these commitments and varies based on the leadership at each school and the community they serve. For example, at EMA, we call ourselves Panthers. At EMA, instead of "Socratic Seminar", we use the terms Kemetic Conversation or Kemetic Dialogue Method, to reclaim this ancient method of teaching. And because we are passionate about serving Black learners and their families, we’ve also added the following statement to our educational philosophy: We believe that by un/dis-covering (with research, study, and direct contact), reclaiming (with due diligence and hard work), and reconnecting with our truth (by reaching back – “Sankofa”) we will better understand who we were, who we are, and who we must be.
If you have any questions you’d like to ask BEFORE donating, please feel free to contact me @ [email redacted].
Thank you for visiting our GOFUNDME page. Sizable donations are deeply appreciated, but please give what you can, and then please don’t stop there. Challenge a friend or family member to do the same.
Organizer
Valine Annette Zeigler
Organizer
Durham, NC