Our Approach

Nashville, TennesseeAt LEAD Academy we take a comprehensive view of student development. Our program prepares each of our students to graduate from a 4-year college, while at the same time instilling in them the values of community service and self-reliance needed to be productive, selfless adults.

The core of the LEAD Academy mission is the belief that learning takes place in the mind, wherever one is—every hour of every day. Thus, every student, friend, family-member, instructor, worker, neighborhood resident, college faculty member, college student, and businessperson contributes to the development of our students. As a result, learning at LEAD Academy is never confined to the boundaries of the classroom. Learning at LEAD Academy is a constant, community process.

Students who complete the LEAD Academy curriculum will not only be ready to apply to college, but will be academically and socially prepared to succeed as leaders on those campuses.

However, to reach our goal of sending more under-served students to 4-year colleges, LEAD Academy offers more than the traditional education program. We provide a foundation that effectively supports, trains, and educates our students—a learning community where students, parents, instructors, businesses, and nonprofits actively engage in the lives of students and contribute significantly to their development.

By engaging the community and expecting the best from every instructor, parent/guardian and student, LEAD Academy trains every student to become a leader capable of making an immediate impact on our community.

SCHOOL LEADER ARCHIVE

MS. FUTURE PRESIDENT

schoolblock-img1LEAD Academy is a school filled with dreams. I feel I can be whatever I want to be when I graduate from LEAD. THis school is filled with lots of love; teachers that want to help you. Our motto is “Whatever it takes.”  The students are encouraged to work hard, so that they will have enough LEAD Lucere at the end of the year to go on a special field study  to college campuses.  LEAD Lucere are given for positive behaviors and taken away for negative behaviors. Learning is so much better when everybody acts right. Last year I went to UT Knoxville and ETSU. It was really fun.

LEAD has high expectations and they are never lowered, no matter what. There are lots of schools in the world, but there isn’t a school better than LEAD Academy. My grades have never been better. I know that going to LEAD will help me to reach my goals in life. I love LEAD and I feel that LEAD loves me.

read more

FOLLOWING MY DREAMS

schoolblock-img3Hello, my name is Teiranie Buckingham, and I attend LEAD Academy. Going to LEAD has helped me achieve many goals. One of my first priorities was to get all A’s on my last quarter Report Card, and I was able to achieve that. Going to LEAD Academy has helped me achieve that goal by encouraging me to never give up and strive for what I want. My educators always told me to pursue my dreams, no matter how big or little they are.

When I grow up I would like to be a Surgical Doctor. I know that’s a hard goal to achieve, and I am nowhere near achieving it. However, my educators have prepared me by letting me experience the “College Life.” I have participated in many Service Learning activities; I have joined a Youth Club called NYLC (National Youth Leadership Council), I have also helped design a Youth Room for NYLC. I think that I am on the right track to becoming a positive example for other students here at LEAD. I think that I have the motivation and determination to achieve anything I put my mind to.

"I'm going to own a newspaper after I graduate."

schoolblock-img2I came to LEAD to bring my grades up and to become a better person. I also came here to have a brighter future; before I came here I didn’t even know what I wanted to be in life or what year I would graduate from high school. Now, with the help of the LEAD staff, I know what year I’m graduating (2014!), where I’m going to college (Stanford), and what I’m going to be in life (newspaper owner).

At LEAD we work as a team and we are like a big family. Every day we learn so many different things, not only academically but behavioral also. We work so hard to achieve our goals; we help people with their problems and we have a little fun too.My favorite part of the day is Crew. This is the time during the day when we gather as a small group and talk about our goals and accomplishments and talk about what makes us LEADers. If you want to learn more about Crew and what we do every day, click here.

One of the things I started here at LEAD was the newspaper, which we call the LEAD Story. You can read the LEAD Story here. Starting the newspaper and studying hard is helping me reach my dreams. When I grow up I plan on having a newspaper company or some kind of business and then come back and work at LEAD for a little.