Friendship Academy is a trauma-informed private school for children experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Through the TN Education Freedom Act, we provide a low-barrier, arts-integrated education in small, multi-age classrooms. By supporting both students and their families, we break the cycle of poverty and create pathways to long-term stability. Every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and thrive—no matter their circumstances.

Five years ago, I met a homeless mother and her child. She was doing everything she could to create a stable life, but the barriers were endless—housing instability, lack of transportation, and limited access to education for her child. The more I worked with families like hers, the more I saw the deep connection between homelessness and education. Children growing up in poverty face enormous disadvantages, and for many, school is just another system that fails to meet their needs. Traditional public and private schools are not designed to support the unique challenges of these children.

That is why I founded Friendship Academy, a private school specifically designed for children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In Tennessee, the Education Freedom Act provides scholarships for private education, which meant I could create a high-quality, independent school that would actually work for these children. However, I knew that a standard private school model wouldn’t be enough. Traditional private schools often have high tuition costs, strict admissions requirements, and expectations that simply don’t align with the realities of homeless families. These schools are designed for stability—something these children don’t have. I wanted to create a long on-ramp for them, a place where they could learn in a safe and nurturing environment, so that by middle school, they would be ready to transition into a well-rounded private education.

One of the most sobering facts I learned along the way is that the state of Tennessee determines how many prison beds they will need in the future based on the number of fourth graders who can’t read. This statistic is heartbreaking because it means that a child’s entire trajectory is being predicted based on their literacy at age nine or ten. But what if that child has spent those years bouncing between shelters, sleeping in cars,

or worrying about where their next meal will come from? How can they possibly focus on reading when their entire life is consumed by survival?

Every child deserves a chance at a high-quality education, regardless of the circumstances they were born into. But for that to happen, we must also support their parents. Life for these families is incredibly hard. They are in survival mode all the time, navigating a system that was not built to help them succeed. Parents need stable housing, reliable transportation, job training, and emotional support just as much as their children need a solid education. That’s why Friendship Academy is more than just a school—it is a bridge to stability for entire families.

This journey has taught me that education is not just about academics. It is about breaking cycles of poverty, giving children hope, and providing families with the resources they need to build a better future. I believe that if we invest in these children now, we can change the trajectory of their lives—not just keeping them out of prison, but helping them thrive.