This week on WCLK's The Local Take(Saturdays 8am), I speak with Director Dr. Leah Skinner of the Boyce L. Ansley School, a new school concept for children without stable housing. The Ansley School is a private school without tuition that supports the entire family. Children who experience the trauma of not having a home are with teachers trained to work with students in traumatic situations.
I ask Skinner how the concept of a private school for homeless children came into being. She speaks about their founder Kate Kennedy, a member of St. Lukes Episcopal Church, who was moved after noticing homeless families living in the street. With encouragement from her friend and fellow church member Boyce L. Ansley, they started a small daycare for the families. The school was born after moving to an unused space within their church.
Two years into the Pandemic, many people finally realize the heavy lifting that most public schools provide in our communities, from mitigating food insecurity to providing socialization. The Ansley school provides wrap-around services. They assist in finding housing and employment for the families in their school. Additionally, they provide trauma therapy to address underlying concerns with both parents and students.
When I ask Skinner what she wants the public to know about their families, she shares that they are resilient and have high expectations for their children and themselves.
I also speak with eight-year-old Abella, a student at the Ansley School. She shares that the teachers at her school care.
For more information about the Boyce L. Ansley School