admin, Author at AAA Scholarship Foundation

Are Your Kids Reaching Their Full Potential?

August 31, 2015 by admin

It’s a thought that almost certainly crosses every parent’s mind, “am I doing everything in my power to help my child reach their full potential?” Often times parents think, am I paying my child enough attention? Am I making enough money to provide them with what they need to succeed? Am I doing something that will hurt them later on in life? And on, and on with the questions. Chances are that if you’re asking these questions in the first place, you’re probably doing a great job providing for your children, but have you ever thought to ask these questions of their school?

Is my child’s school providing the right environment to help them learn? Are they learning all the vital skills they will need to succeed later in life? Do they enjoy going to school, and do they view it as a positive environment? These are all questions you should be asking of your child’s school. After all, they spend six to eight hours there a day, sometimes more! If you can’t answer these questions, or if the answer is no to a lot of them, it might be time to take a closer look at what you can do to find a school that is the right fit for your child.

Many parents believe that they don’t have any other options when it comes to where their child goes to school, other than the public school in their district, but this is not always the case. There are many options families have to remove their child from a school that simply isn’t the right fit, and put them in one that is the perfect fit! One of those options, school choice, is one that isn’t talked about all that often.

School choice is a program that allows students and their families the option of attending a private school of their choice, often partially- or fully-funded by a scholarship. These scholarships are available through programs such as the AAA Scholarship Foundation, are funded by tax-credit donations, and awarded based on a variety of criteria. Currently, approximately 190,000 students across the U.S. are using tax-credit scholarship programs to help pay for tuition and 14 states have enacted tax-credit-funded scholarships programs. There’s no doubt that these programs are helping a lot of children reach their full potential, and there’s no reason they can’t help your child!

Children who attend school in an environment that causes stress, anxiety or depression are less likely to learn and grow to their full potential. Instead of focusing on the lesson, they are focusing on their environment and how badly they wish to be somewhere else. As a parent, you can help your child by providing them with an environment where they can truly learn and thrive. In fact, one of our most recent scholarship recipients, Ky’mier Bowie, experienced just this, when transferring from his volatile public school, to a private school of his choice. His struggles (and successes) are highlighted in our Scholarship Spotlight; “’Before I started attending Fruitful Ground, my family was constantly leaving work to come up to my assigned school because I was frequently getting into fights,’ admits Ky’mier. Expectations of success and thriving were a new concept for Ky’mier at school. Before, he had just hoped that he survived each day. In a short time he did a complete turnaround.”

Stories like Ky’mier’s, of children being given the opportunity to reach their full potential, are becoming more and more common in the U.S. and this can be attributed to the success of the school choice program! If you would like more information on how we can help your child reach his or her full potential by going to a private school of their choice, contact us today!

How to Help Your Kids Handle the Stress of Going Back to School

August 24, 2015 by admin

If your kids have already gone back to school this month, or are getting ready for their first day, it’s no secret that the stress of making that kind of major change is nothing to be ignored. Waking up early, meeting a new teacher and students, learning new and unfamiliar subjects, and in some cases, starting at a completely new school can all help contribute to anxiety and stress that can be expressed through behavioral issues, lack of sleep and/or appetite, or even illness. As a parent, it might be hard to understand what you can actually do to help combat the effects of stress on your children. After all, you’ve got your own stresses like work, bills and family schedules to worry about, and your kids have to go to school. So, what can you do to help keep your kids calm and stress-free as they make the transition back to school?

Start with SLEEP! School-aged children and pre-teens need approximately 10 – 11 hours of sleep a night! Teenagers can get away with a little less, at a recommended nine hours a night. Getting enough sleep at night is one of the best things we can do for our bodies. This period of rest helps our bodies reset and repair from the day’s stresses and many experts believe that when children don’t get enough sleep it can affect their growth and immune system. Sleep also helps us humans deal with stress better. Having a well-rested mind means having a clear mind, one that is ready to take on the day!

How do I ensure that my children get enough sleep, you ask? Start with a bedtime routine, if you don’t already have one. Establishing a routine that they can rely on will help make bedtime easier for all involved. They key is consistency, children need consistency in their lives before any kind of habit can be established and it’s up to you as the parent to enforce it.

Next, set aside some time, every day, to allow your kids to exercise! Physical activity, whether it’s guided or not, can help release pent-up energy, help build strong muscles and bones and even help balance hormones – leading to better performance on a stress test. This time for physical activity can be something as simple as running around on the playground, playing sports with other kids in the neighborhood, playing tag in the backyard or even doing some family workouts! In fact, kids are more likely to want to exercise if they see you doing it, so lead by example and get moving!

While getting more sleep and exercising are both great physical actions you can take to help your children combat stress, ensuring mental stability is just as important. Young children experiencing stress or anxiety for the first time might not fully understand what they’re feeling, and certainly won’t know how to handle it. Taking the time to talk with your children about what stress is, and helping them understand how to deal with it can go a long way! The American Psychological Association has these tips for talking with you children about stress:

Be Available
Listen Actively
Respond Thoughtfully
Consider
Seek Help if Necessary

And finally, make sure you laugh! Spend some time joking with your kids, tell them a silly story, or let them tell you one. Laughter is a great way to release some of the stresses of the day, and who knows, it might even help you relax too, Mom and Dad! In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, laughing can have both short-term and long-term positive effects on us! If you’re looking for some laugh-spiration (laughing inspiration, get it?) here are some family-friendly jokes to try at the dinner table tonight!

Stress can be a serious factor in the success of your child, so use these tips to help keep your children happy and healthy this school year!

If your child is unhappy or under-performing in their school, contact us to see how we can help you and your family have access to a private school that’s right for them!

Arizona’s Disabled-Displaced Scholarship (aka Lexie’s Law)

August 7, 2015 by admin

Ten years ago, Lexie Weck, an Arizona 14-year-old living with autism, cerebral palsy and mental retardation, was enrolled in a public school that didn’t have the resources necessary to meet her physical or educational needs. “Basically, they were offering not-great babysitting,” said Lexie’s mother, Andrea Weck Robertson. Unable to afford the high cost of tuition to a private school that could support Lexie’s needs, Andrea was inspired to make a change.

Fast forward 10 years and Lexie is now enrolled in a private school that teaches kids with disabilities and has the resources to better meet their needs. Even though she is non-verbal, she is now able to communicate through an iPad and sign language. This was made possible through the Arizona Disabled-Displaced Scholarship program, also known as Lexie’s Law – in honor of Lexie herself! Andrea’s dedication to helping families in a similar situation as hers is was lead to the passing of Lexie’s Law in 2009. Since then, the scholarship program has helped hundreds of children with physical, mental and educational disabilities, and even children in Arizona’s foster care program.

The law, which expanded on Arizona’s existing scholarship program, allows corporations to donate funds to nonprofit, school-tuition organizations that provide school choice scholarships, in turn, these businesses receive a tax credit for that donation. This year, small businesses were given the opportunity to donate and receive tax credits as well, and many think this expansion to small business donations is what lead to this years’ increase in donations. With 13 of the 28 total donations coming from small businesses, the program reached its maximum of $5 million in donations within weeks of the fiscal year!

“I feel very proud and very grateful to help other families that need the scholarships to be able to change their lives as much as it changed my daughter’s life,” Andrea said. Lexie and her Mom dedicate time each year to speaking with families about the scholarship program. They want families to be aware that they not only have the right to choose, but they have the opportunity to as well. A lot of families do not know that there are resources to get their child out of public school and into a place that is better suited for their needs; there is money available.

Since 2012, the AAA Scholarship Foundation has worked with schools and families in Arizona to help distribute scholarships, giving children, with disabilities, the opportunity to receive an education best suited for their needs. This year, with funding coming in from multiple sources, and at a record pace, AAA Scholarship Foundation is happy to have the opportunity to help more families than ever before. If you or someone you know could potentially benefit from the Arizona Disabled-Displaced scholarship program, please fill out our application to see if we can help!

For more information on how our scholarship foundation is helping low-income families and those with children experiencing learning disabilities, or physical disabilities in Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Nevada, visit our website.

Best Books for Back to School Reading!

July 28, 2015 by admin

Summer is supposed to be a time full of fun with family and friends! But the school year tends to creep up quickly and sometimes, it’s easy to forget some of the skills we gained the previous year. To avoid losing any knowledge, it’s important to keep your brain working, and reading is a great way to give your brain some exercise! With a good book in hand, the rest of summer can be fun and relaxing, and no matter what age your child is, they can learn and have fun.

Kindergarten Reads: When the hot summer days become unbearable, hang out inside with your little ones and cool down with the book, Ice Cream Summer! Author Peter Sis has written an adorable, humorous, short story for kids around ages five or six. With colorful illustrations, this book focuses on family, learning, and of course ice cream and summertime! This youthful story teaches kids that learning can be made fun with a touch of your favorite things and your imagination. So grab the carton of ice cream and dive into a great book with Ice Cream Summer.

Elementary Reads: Bring some humor to your summer, with the N. Griffin book, Smashie McPerter and the Mystery of Room 11.This mystery read may be the perfect story to keep your little ones entertained (and learning) all summer! What seems like a perfect classroom, in this book, turns out to be quite an abnormal place. Take a trip with Smashie and her best friend as they try to solve the mysteries that are causing the craziness in room 11.

Author Dianna Hutts Aston has a series of children books, for your lower-elementary student, that will keep them busy and using their imagination all summer! Her newest addition to her series is A Nest Is Noisy. This story is all about animals and their nests, teaching kids about nature with words and colorful illustrations. With a poetic tone, this book is one of many that can spark the imagination of your child, all while teaching them about creatures of the world! A Butterfly is Patient, An Egg is Quiet, and A Rock Is Lively, are a few other books of Aston’s that may be fun for your young reader and just might inspire them to get outside and explore nature first hand.

Fifth Grade Reads: Gone Crazy in Alabama is a story of three Brooklyn sisters who travel south for the summer — and it’s a really interesting read for a fifth-grade reader! A story of exploration, learning, and family, Rita Williams-Garcia’s book has won the hearts of many young girls. Through tragedy and family craziness, the sisters learn about family bonds that are both broken and repaired.

Linda Mullaly Hunt has a great read for kids finishing or about to enter fifth grade. Fish in a Tree has a special way of connecting with any child who has been left out or felt that they had something wrong with them because of their differences. The main character, Ally, is nothing short of a troublemaker. She is constantly causing chaos in the classroom, often in an effort to hide a secret. As she and her family make another move to a new home, Ally’s new teacher helps her to accept herself for who she is and manage her struggle with dyslexia. This book helps teach acceptance, courage, and confidence, and is a great read for kids around age ten and eleven.

Middle School Reads: While you and your children may have already seen these books recreated for the big screen, it’s never too late to pick up the first installment of The Hunger Games and experience this young adult series as the author intended. Katniss Everdeen’s journey to becoming a courageous woman is even more valiant in the book and this read is perfect for both boys and girls!

The Diary of a Young Girl is a story about a girl Anne Frank who lived during the time of the Holocaust. This story is a compilation of 13-year-old Frank’s, thoughts and experiences from this time she was faced with hunger, deprivation, restlessness and fear. This book will give your child a look into what life was like for Frank and others in the early 1940’s when Nazi’s occupied Holland. Besides, this book is likely to become assigned reading, so why not let your kids get a head start this summer!

High School Reads: New York Times bestseller The Secret Life of Bees, has been the talk of the town when it comes to high school reading. Focusing on love, family, and divine female power, this story captures the hearts of girls as it leads you on a journey to South Carolina with a young girl and her stand-in mother. Set in the 1960’s, segregation was extremely present in the South. Take a look at how women move beyond racial segregation and love one another for the women they are on the inside. True adventures can teach many lessons, and many are taught through this award-winning novel.

One last great pick for your high school student would be Avi’s Nothing but Truth. The main character, Phillip Malloy, explores freedom and respect as he attempts to switch teachers. He soon finds himself as the focus of a national crisis, all after humming during the National Anthem. Find out more about Phillip’s quest for freedom with this read!

Reading might not be on the top of your children’s to-do list this summer, but these books just might help change their mind. It’s never too late to dive into a good book, so the next time a summer storm is keeping your kids indoors, try encouraging them to pick up one of these books and get lost in the wonder of reading!

Ky’mier Bowie

June 25, 2015 by admin

Ky’mier Bowie
Fruitful Ground Christian Education Development Center
Montgomery, AL

“As a parent, your first concern is your child and his or her well-being,” Kristie Davis says of why she was seeking a different academic environment for her child, Ky’mier Bowie. “I noticed an immediate change in my son when he started attending his assigned school in Montgomery County, Alabama.” Kristie, a single parent knows all too well the challenges of putting her child first while struggling in a difficult environment, but she never wavered from striving not just to survive but to find ways for Ky’mier to succeed.

Kristie saw that her son was struggling in his assigned school, his grades were low and he was unhappy. “My child had a distinct look in his eyes that displayed low self-esteem and fear,” she says. “I wanted to follow the rules and the procedures given as far as talking to the teachers and school administrators about my son and this sudden change.” However, after many efforts, she realized that the school was not a good fit for her child and she needed to find another option to better serve his needs. As an engaged parent, Kristie knew that she needed help to bridge the access gap to a high quality education. Then she found Fruitful Ground Christian Education Development Center and AAA Scholarship Foundation.

“Before I started attending Fruitful Ground, my family was constantly leaving work to come up to my assigned school because I was frequently getting into fights,” admits Ky’mier. Kristie was relieved to find support from the teachers and principal at Fruitful Ground. After hearing her concerns about Ky’mier and his previous experience, they discussed with her plans of action to make sure his needs were met in the new environment. Often, when a scholarship student transfers from to a new school they are below grade level, struggling and frustrated, and it takes time to adjust to the new setting and expectations. Ky’mier proudly declares, “Ever since I have come to Fruitful Ground, I have not been in a single fight.”

Expectations of success and thriving were a new concept for Ky’mier at school. Before, he had just hoped that he survived each day. In a short time he did a complete turnaround. Now Kristie says Ky’mier has high self-esteem, making her perseverance worth the effort to find the change that would help her son. “I sometimes struggle to pay my bills, but thanks to the AAA Scholarship, I know my child is safe in the school that will help him succeed in his future,” she says. “AAA Scholarship Foundation has been a blessing. This organization helps in many ways that I didn’t know they would! Assistance paying with tuition, books and other fees make his attendance possible for us.”

Fruitful Ground Principal Annetta Tate has worked with students and parents for years. “The tremendous transformation that I have seen in Ky’mier’s character, social development, and academics is a spotlight in my mind,” she says. “He is now a student that interacts with his teachers and peers. He has gone from being academically behind to being inducted in our school’s newly formed senior chapter of The National Beta Club.”

Kristie sees the effect of participation every day, saying “The most important and best outcome of the AAA Scholarship program is my son, Ky’mier. He is happy and he loves school. Today he initiates the conversation about his day before I even ask. Thanks to Fruitful Ground he enjoys learning now and his grades are excellent.”

Annetta says she sees “the great impact the school is able to have on the students’ lives when the financial burden is lifted for those most in need of assistance and access through the AAA Scholarships.” She has seen time and time again that financial barriers do not indicate the parent doesn’t know what the child needs or that they don’t care what they need; it simply means they are not able to financially provide for the learning environment they so desperately know their child needs. Once opportunities are provided, the parents will go to great lengths to grasp the “hand up, not hand out” to access the perfect school that will enable academic achievement for their child.

Kristie glows with pride for her son’s accomplishments in such a short amount of time relaying, “AAA Scholarships are everything a parent could ask for and I am very thankful and appreciative of them and the donors that make the scholarships possible. From my heart, thank you!” While Ky’mier adds, “I am grateful for the opportunities ahead of me.”

About Fruitful Ground Christian Education Development Center
Located in Montgomery, Ala., Fruitful Ground commits to provide a safe and caring environment that is conducive for each child’s growth and development in grades 1-12. The school is accredited through A Beka Academy, and serves 40 students – 10 of whom are AAA Scholarship recipients. Fruitful Ground uses the SAT to assess student achievement. Their program strives to ensure one-on-one attention that adapts to the individual and unique personalities of their students, while encouraging them to excel in their academics.

About AAA Scholarship Foundation
The typical AAA Scholarship student is an ethnic minority living with a struggling single parent/caregiver in a high crime community. The average household income of families accepted to receive scholarships is $23,559 for a family of four. Many children are either below grade level, failing at their previous school or both when they receive a scholarship. Parents, who find their children in these circumstances and care about their future, look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges their child to reverse inadequate learning and/or social patterns and the potential lifelong negative impact. They wish to change their child’s learning environment, acquaintances, and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure.
AAA Scholarships are funded in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania by corporations that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a tax credit (dollar for dollar in Alabama, Arizona, Florida and Georgia and up to 90 percent in Pennsylvania). The AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only approved Scholarship 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations exclusively serving qualifying low-income, disabled and/or displaced students through these Scholarship Tax Credit programs. AAA Scholarship Foundation provides your company with the convenience and efficiency of a single-solution for participating in multiple state tax credit scholarship programs. For more information or to learn how your corporation can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri@aaascholarships.org or 888 707-2465 ext. 730.
Click for a pdf of this student spotlight:
May_2015_Spotlight_Kymier_Bowie (Final 20150625)

4 Ways We Can Help Your School Now

May 13, 2015 by admin

AAA Scholarship Foundation is founded on the belief that no child should be deprived of a quality education. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential and being able to go to a school that suits their specific learning needs, is a huge step in the direction of achieving this goal. With the support of a quality education, children are more likely to not only graduate from high school, but eventually go on to earn a college degree, many of which are the first in their family to do so.

By working with high-performing schools in the areas where we offer scholarships, AAA is able to provide funds to those who need it most. Whether a family needs assistance with covering the cost of tuition, or a child is looking for the right school for which to use his or her scholarship, having a strong relationship with schools is vital to the success of our program. Here are four ways AAA Scholarship Foundation can help your school and work towards establishing a strong partnership.

Providing funding for students receiving partial As the 2014 – 2015 school year is drawing to a close, many families who are receiving partial scholarships may have an issue covering the difference in the cost of tuition and the amount of their current scholarship. Many of these families may be eligible for a scholarship from AAA. We are currently disbursing funds to students for the 2014 – 2015 academic year and still have donated funds that need to be used by June 30, 2015. Contact us now, to see how we can help your students.

Provide funding for students receiving school scholarships this year. If you have students currently enrolled at your school who are there on either a full or partial “school” scholarship, we can help with the funding of those scholarships. AAA works with schools all over the state to help provide funding for students who are currently receiving scholarships from private schools.

Add socio-economic diversity to your private Inviting students of different economic backgrounds can have a positive effect on the well being of the rest of the student body. Students to attend a school with a diverse student body will be better prepared to function on the diverse environment of our country. They are given the opportunity to develop and understand the perspectives of students from different cultural, and economic backgrounds.

Assist with By partnering with the AAA Scholarship Foundation, schools are given free banners and yard signs to be used over and over again throughout the school year.

Our main goal is to provide an opportunity for a brighter future for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Working with great schools, like yours, is one way to get there. If you are interested in learning more about working with AAA, or how we can still help your students during the 2014 – 2015 school year, contact us here.

At this time, we have immediate availability of fund in Florida only. If you are a Florida private school and would like more information on how to partner with AAA Scholarship Foundation, visit our Florida Schools resource page now.

“Together we can make a brighter future, one child at a time.”

– AAA Scholarship Foundation

St. John the Evangelist Catholic School

March 23, 2015 by admin

Arizona has thousands of bright, curious children from all corners of the state and these children possess so much capability and potential talent, but they desperately need opportunities to reach their full potential. That is where St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Tucson excels.

Teachers at the school remember when their students didn’t need desks with cubbies—they had nothing to put in them. Unfortunately, today’s economy has many schools struggling to keep their doors open, amid challenges that go beyond desk supplies. Further, the students that most need a quality education are typically those least able to financially help the school.

Principal Keiran Roche knew that his school served the state’s poorest children and that he needed to find a new source of funding to enable his school not only to survive, but to thrive.

“Our students come from some of the most under-resourced families in the community, with 80 percent of our school’s students qualifying for the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program,” Roche said. “These families want the opportunity to choose the best education for their children, but they do not have the ability to self-pay. AAA Scholarships provide St. John the Evangelist with the chance to expand our student enrollment to students we otherwise wouldn’t be able to serve.”

One hundred percent of the students attending St. John receive some form of financial aid in order to attend the school.

Students from the same community that would send them to failing schools are showing documented achievement. From August 2013 to February 2014, St. John saw cumulative student growth of 68 months across 1st through 8th grades – 170 percent more learning than the expected 40 months of growth! Making “Academic Achievement Accessible” is not only AAA Scholarship Foundation’s name – it is our passion and goal and we are pleased that we are able to help St. John in closing the education achievement gap.

St. John has partnered with the Notre Dame ACE Academies (NDAA) to incorporate an innovative program that utilizes resources from the University, corporations, and the local community. The NDAA program encourages schools to increase the number of students enrolled through parental school choice scholarship programs, which has been a key to success for the Tucson area it serves – an area recently ranked the sixth poorest metropolitan area by the US Census Bureau. St. John embraced this program and has increased their enrollment by more than 100 percent in five years, growing from 133 students in 2010 to 314 students today.

“We address the needs of the whole child in providing diverse approaches to learning,” Roche said. “Our AAA Scholarship students provide not only diversity, but also a stability of income through multi-year scholarships that we would not have otherwise. AAA Scholarships enables us to compete for students that otherwise would not have a choice in where to go to school. We appreciate everything the AAA Scholarship Foundation and the generous donors have done for the many students they serve.”

About St. John the Evangelist Catholic School
Established in 1950, St. John the Evangelist Catholic School serves Pima County students in grades preschool through 8th grade. Maximizing the benefit of their partnership with Notre Dame ACE Academies, children experience the effects of a program focused on comprehensive school excellence and implementing a unique model of urban schooling. St. John students prepare for college by closing the education achievement gap, as shown by testing twice a year with the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. During the 2014-15 school year, St. John served 316 students, 116 of which were AAA scholarship recipients. The annual cost of tuition and fees at St. John for the 2014-15 school year is $5,800 for grades Kindergarten through 8th, plus the cost of books and fees.

AAA Scholarships are funded in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania by corporations that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a tax credit (dollar for dollar in Alabama, Arizona, Florida and Georgia and up to 90 percent in Pennsylvania). The AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only approved Scholarship 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations exclusively serving qualifying low-income, disabled and/or displaced students through these Scholarship Tax Credit programs. AAA Scholarship Foundation provides your company with the convenience and efficiency of a single-solution for participating in multiple state tax credit scholarship programs. For more information or to learn how your corporation can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri@aaascholarships.org or 888 707-2465 ext. 730.

To view PDF Version, click here: AAA Spotlight March 2015 StJohn School.