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LEAD Academy’s mission is nothing less than to change the way Nashville educates its students and supports its neighborhoods by proving that 100% of its students will graduate from high school and be accepted to a 4-year college/university. Through our comprehensive educational model, LEAD Academy is achieving its mission by providing more low-income students with the skills and opportunities they need to obtain a college-degree and use it as the lever to strengthen the entire Nashville community.

LEAD Academy raises money to support academic, extra-curricular programs and back office operations for the operations of the school and for future growth opportunities. A diverse group of local and state-wide investors has invested in LEAD Academy. Without their partnership and support of our vision we wouldn’t have been able to achieve our mission, and we thank them for their commitment to education reform in Nashville. If you are interested in contributing to our efforts, please contact Jeremy Kane at donate@leadacademy.org or at 615-327-5422.

Giving Matters

Philanthropic investment is essential to LEAD’s operations. As a city charter school, LEAD Academy receives less than $2,500 per student than other Metro Nashville Public Schools. While we maximize every dollar we receive to ensure that each student receives a rigorous and rewarding education, to offer our educational model, LEAD Academy must raise an additional $1,500 per student from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Your support will make it possible for LEAD students to:

  • Attend a longer school day than their peers in regular public schools—LEAD Academy offers before and after-school activities, extra-curricular activities, clubs, and sports.
  • Participate in regular service-learning projects and trips geared toward improving neighborhoods across the greater Nashville area.
  • Excel in our three week Summer School Session as they take classes modeled after the collegiate environment
  • Explore college campuses across the country during the Spring College Research Trips. By senior year, LEAD students will have visited over 20 college campuses to help them in the application process

All donations are tax-deductible and allow LEAD Academy to achieve its mission, goals and objectives (links to mission page). Many investors have tied their investments to achieving specific goals and objectives. The success of LEAD Academy is tied directly to our achieving the following goals and objectives:

Goals

  1. Refine model: Continue refining the LEAD model, curriculum, and instructional program to increase the academic performance of Nashville’s low-income students and become the top-performing school in Nashville.
  2. Attract resources: Raise funds to serve more students in LEAD Academy schools and refine and expand the LEAD model.
  3. Smart Growth: Design and implement a smart, sustainable growth plan and world-class organizational structure.
  4. Community-Focused: Remain a community-focused organization which adds value to all schools in Nashville and the communities they serve by sharing successful practices with other educators/non-profits in Nashville and cities across the country
  5. Leadership Development: Design and implement a Leadership Development program to identify, train and coach school leaders and staff.

Objectives

  1. To complete the build-out of the first LEAD Academy campus.
  2. To complete the expansion of before and after-school programs, including extra-curricular activities, transportation, and staffing
  3. To develop the infrastructure needed to support future growth opportunities by creating:
  4. A central management office (CMO)
  5. A back office for fiscal and human resources management
  6. A Leadership development program

Grants from corporations and foundations support LEAD’s general operations or particular programs such as student assessment, after-school programs and music. If you are a corporation or foundation interested in supporting our annual operations, please contact Jeremy Kane at donate@leadacademy.org or at 615-327-5422.