Echo Carter was always a bright, happy and outgoing child, but when she got to junior high, she became the target of bullies. “I was always a good student — the problem was the social environment for me. Kids would bully me constantly and it got to the point where I was depressed, didn’t want […]
May is National Foster Care Month and a time to honor these brave youth who, due to no fault of their own, find themselves in extremely stressful and often deplorable conditions. FLEX High is dedicated to being a haven for foster children who want to stay in school and graduate. There are currently about 16,000 […]
Think back to your favorite high school teachers and why you liked them? Was it because they didn’t pay attention and let you skate by? Likely not. Our favorite teachers were the ones who knew us, encouraged us, and challenged us to grow and do our best work. They helped us stay motivated, supported […]
Serenity Hunter – was just that. This shy girl with a troubled family life was searching for the calm, peace and untroubled mindset that most people enjoy. She first enrolled at Learn4Life as a foster youth with her head down low, very little self-confidence and no motivation to attend school. She had almost no […]
Remember the guidance counselor in high school who would advise on which classes to take and how to apply to college? Due to an acute need to address the emotional needs of students, that role has evolved to become “school counselor,” to address the whole student, and their social and emotional needs, along with academic […]
Hailey was diagnosed with autism when she was six. Despite being placed in various special education programs, she fell behind in school, which made her frustrated and angry. She had limited social skills, was bullied, isolated and very unhappy. In high school, she was placed in a group with other autistic students, but recalls being […]
Autism Awareness Month is a chance to highlight the one in 59 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Students like John B., who suffered a severe illness as a toddler that left him silent and diagnosed with non-verbal autism. John’s kindergarten teacher introduced him to facilitated communication, so he could express himself using a talking […]
Graduating from high school and attending college was once only a dream to 19-year-old Dreama S. After overcoming multiple obstacles including surviving cancer, the trauma of losing a sister and experiencing temporary homelessness, she graduated with honors from FLEX High School in the fall of 2020 during a national pandemic. She recently started her first semester […]
Jamila Moore is now 21, but back when she was just 15, her English teacher inspired her to write a story, and to improve it with dialogue and write it as a chapter book. And it took a few years, but she now has a publisher and a fully illustrated fantasy novel, written for young […]
It’s no wonder that Chris often felt anger bubbling up – he was bullied throughout his youth and recalls being a loner for most of his childhood. He came to FLEX his first year of high school because our flexible schedule meant that he wouldn’t have to sit in a classroom every day, which triggered […]