Gerald Dawkins Academy opens in Grand Rapids; The goal: to boost literacy

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Gerald Dawkins Academy is opening its doors to students for the first time today in a newly renovated building.

The K-through-3 school is located on Fisk Road in southeast Grand Rapids. It is still enrolling students. Dawkins Academy is guided by the Center for Sound Literacy and authorized by Grand Valley State University. The public charter school is focused on boosting low literacy rates, while providing small class sizes.

More from the Clark Communications news release:

Gerald Dawkins Academy offers K-3 students robust, hands-on learning opportunities, STEM activities, intensive literacy instruction, as well as individualized supports in a state-of-the-art environment

(GRAND RAPIDS, MI) – Students arrived this morning to a newly renovated school building and the latest addition to Grand Rapids’ elementary education landscape: Gerald Dawkins Academy, a public charter school focused on boosting low literacy rates, while providing small class sizes, 1:1 technology, and a personalized learning experience for each student.

Named after the lifelong educator whose legacy included ensuring students received a strong education, regardless of where they lived, Gerald Dawkins Academy is being spearheaded by the Center for Sound Literacy, a Grand Rapids-based organization whose mission is to impact the future lives of urban elementary students through the power of literacy achievement. The school is being authorized by Grand Valley State University and it’s not too late to enroll your student.

“We are so excited for the children and families who are making Gerald Dawkins Academy their choice,” said Gerald Dawkins Academy Principal and former Grand Rapids Public Schools educator Mark Frost. “My Assistant Principal Lacey James and I believe in this literacy-intensive model and have the utmost confidence in the teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, and volunteers who have been assembled for this awesome opportunity to provide a well-rounded academic experience for our scholars.”

Located in the heart of the city at 1050 Fisk SE, Gerald Dawkins Academy is committed to fostering strong parental involvement, as well as being the very best neighbor it can be to the families in the surrounding neighborhood.

“One of the most attractive aspects of this school is its location, because proximity matters,” said Gerald Dawkins Academy Board President and former Grand Rapids Public Schools educator Jerry McComb. “One of our primary goals is to have all of our students reading at grade level by third grade, and we know this neighborhood is growing and there are more families moving in. We also know literacy rates are not where they need to be in this neighborhood, so it’s our desire to come and walk alongside children and families in this critically important work.”

About Gerald Dawkins Academy (www.dawkinsacademy.org)

Gerald Dawkins Academy, a K-3, public charter school has a mission which ensures a dynamic and equitable learning community where students, families and teachers will learn, lead, aspire, and achieve optimal intellectual growth. Their vision is that students and their families will grow and thrive as productive citizens in our global world. Gerald Dawkins Academy will instill in future generations the power of learning and the importance of giving back to their communities.

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