Every Shade is Beautiful. And Every Second of Ubuntu Academy is the Same. It's Been a Minute, but We Are Back with Faith. Humanity is Restored.

Over the Covid years, we tried our hardest to make Ubuntu Academy come alive, but the lack of technological resources, the chaos of finding students, and the reality that the United States was still experiencing the anti-immigrant and refugee mantra for federal government, we were unable to host our award-winning program. We held opportunities for kids with access, but not the kids served by the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants.

I'm proud to say that we are back. With wonderful support from the Piper Foundation, we have 36 young people from around the world who have been in local schools for just a few months. We are reading Jason Reynold's Ain't Burned All the Bright and doing our best to enhance vocabulary and language six hours a day. When I snapped a photo of William King yesterday I realized we were already succeeding. The whiteboards were loaded with language and the smiles on the faces of all the kids were enormous. His shirt? Several rows of "Every shade is beautiful." God I love Mr. King and Ms. Baldizon.

It just makes me proud. It offers a mission for doing good in a world that is dead-set on doing bad.  

Most important to this work, however, is the investment in joy, happiness, storytelling, and growth. It simply works and we are proud to offer a location of safety, comfort, and unconditional support as young people write their stories. The energy that flies from each kid and teacher is simply remarkable and I wish there was a way I could harness it and offer it to Boards of Educations, Superintendents,  Principals, and Teachers all across the country. 

This is what learning is really about....should be about.

Yes, the bus was 45 minutes late and, of course, several kids were picked up and dropped off in the totally wrong locations. Well, this is par for the course when working with school districts. BUT, when we finally found ourselves together in a wonderful space provided by Fairfield University, there was nothing but total bliss. 

I couldn't be happier. We couldn't be happier.

I definitely couldn't be any prouder. We are proud together. 

Bring on college essay workshops today. Woot Woot.