Saliha Nelson, the Founder and CEO of Urgent Academy in Miami, aims to create a vibrant, creative educational experience focused on Black history and cultural identity. In her micro middle school located in Overtown, she has noticed significant positive changes in student engagement. Parents, like Faith Ladson, express joy in their children's newfound excitement for learning. Nelson's vision stems from personal experiences with education disparities, motivating her to establish a supportive space where students can explore their interests and learn about their cultural heritage in depth.
She's excited about the fact that she doesn't have to be restricted with what it is that she learns. She's very happy about the fact that they give her freedom to be able to explore whatever it is her interests are, and they support her in doing that.
We get to know our students very well. That means having conversations around who they are, their histories, pieces of their culture that they want to lift up, and then providing an opportunity for them to showcase that and elevate the issues and concerns that they care about.
Growing up in New Jersey, Nelson said Black history was regularly taught to her in school. At eight, when she and her family moved to San Diego, she noticed that was no longer the case.
Collection
[
|
...
]