Society calls them “at risk” youth, but the
See Forever Foundation prefers to focus on their untapped
potential. These teenagers seem full of bravado, but most
admit having lost confidence in themselves. They have not
succeeded in traditional school settings. Their lives are
full of gaps. Many have been involved in the juvenile justice
system.
The Maya Angelou Public Charter School, run by the See
Forever Foundation, is focused on filling those gaps and
tapping that potential. The school strives to create a culture
and a community that competes with the lure of the streets.
Through a rigorous program that combines academics with
communication, life skills, and a focus on individual needs,
the staff at the school is helping each student develop
personal values and goals that will lead them in a positive
direction.
“Most of our students arrive feeling angry and beaten,”
says James Forman, co-founder of the Maya Angelou School.
“We try to provide a safe place for them to explore
and grow and really challenge themselves. Like the poet
for whom the school was named, we want our students to learn
how to overcome their problems so they can say, ‘still
I rise’.”
Learning to rise above life’s challenges was an important
accomplishment for Felecia Green, a 2002 graduate. At her
graduation, she told her classmates, “I have gone
through good times and bad times here. But it has been real.
I have gone from being a young girl straight out of the
streets of New York to a young woman. Now it's time for
me to leave and start on a new chapter of my life. And even
though I am glad to get out and claim my independence, I
will truly miss you. Thank you for being my foundation,
Maya Angelou.”
See Forever website
