Helping Our Homeschool Co-Op Expand

“Education. Culture. Love.” Those three words embody Imani Family and Education Center, LLC.

With this fundraiser, our goal is to:

-purchase a van so that all children can go on field trips

-purchase recess equipment for our backyard that is currently empty

-continue to offer minimally-processed healthy meals, despite rising inflation

-purchase learning materials

-offer sliding scales to families that need financial support

The daughter of James and Michelle Henry, Mama Kamilah has wanted to be an educator since she was a young child. Never believing in traditional schooling, Mama Kamilah followed her spirit and opened Imani Family and Education Center in her metro Detroit home during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The mother of three, she has always had the firm belief that children should be able to learn in a style that suits them, at their own pace, in their preferred space - under a table, in a closet, on a couch, with a computer, book or learning manipulatives. And with Imani, they can.

We are not a school; we are a homeschool co-op that offers all-day educational support for homeschooled and virtual learners, as well as after-school programming and regular learning excursions. Our goal is to equally empower metro Detroit children and parents to advocate for themselves and their education.

In 2022, there are several educational realities Imani takes pride in countering.

EDUCATION. The heartbreaking fact that over 150 Detroit public schools have closed permanently in the past 20 years. This leaves its residents with few options for education and large classroom sizes. Imani is currently licensed for a small group of only 6, allowing for individualized support. With your financial support, Imani will work to increase its license to reach more children, but the teacher to student ratio will remain the same.

CULTURE. In many school systems, cultural identity is not celebrated or taught. Imani believes there is a direct correlation between personal and group identity and academic achievement. The more children see themselves in story books, history books and in current powerful positions (engineers, doctors, and making Michigan history like Coach Henry!), the more they internalize how much they can achieve!

LOVE. We are a family and our children feel it. All families meet monthly for Wazazi Circles, where we discuss common learning goals, field trips and address other household concerns. Our families are working- and middle-class, but are supported just the same. We offer a sliding scale, tuition assistance and scholarships for families. No child of Imani goes without home-cooked pescatarian meals, clothes, school supplies, excursions and feeling celebrated for being exactly who God made them to be!