BUILDING HOPE ANNOUNCES 2024 IMPACT GRANT SEMI-FINALISTS

20 Charter Schools Recognized for Exceptional Impact to Community Engagement, Educational Innovation, Student Empowerment and Best Practices

$160,000 in Grants to be Awarded at Third Annual IMPACT Summit on April 25

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Building Hope, the non-profit leader in charter school facilities, financing, and services, today announced the semi-finalists for its third annual Building Hope IMPACT Grants. The 2024 semi-finalists represent 14 different states and U.S. territories, and also include seven previous semi-finalists and one previous honorable mention winner.

A total of $160,000 in grants will be awarded across four categories: Community Engagement, Educational Innovation, Student Empowerment, and the S. Joseph Bruno Charter School Leadership Award. The $5,000 Shellie-Ann Braswell Shine Brighter Award for Charter Volunteer Leaders will be presented at a separate event.

"This year's IMPACT Grant applicants set a powerful example of dedication to innovation and excellence in K-12 public education across our country, said Building Hope President and CEO Bill Hansen. "I want to thank all of the 2024 applicants for the work they do each day to inspire and shape the future of our students and communities."

The 2024 IMPACT Award semi-finalists were selected from almost 200 completed charter school applications from schools in 36 states and US territories: 

Student Empowerment

1. Libertas School, Memphis, TN
2. Monument Academy, Washington, DC
3. Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies, Elizabeth City, NC
4. Siembra Leadership High School in Albuquerque, NM
5. Tapestry Public Charter School, Doraville, GA

Community Engagement

1. Academy for Global Citizenship, Chicago, IL
2. Amy Biehl High School, Albuquerque, NM
3. Caring and Sharing Learning School, Gainesville, FL
4. Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, Chattanooga, TN
5. Vimenti, San Juan, PR

Education Innovation

1. ArtSpace Charter School, Swannanoa, NC
2. Mālama Honua Public Charter School, Waimānalo, HI
3. MicroSociety Academy, Nashua, NH
4. NW Passage High School, Coon Rapids, MN
5. The School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, Honolulu, HI

S. Joseph Bruno Charter Leadership Award

1. Arizona Autism Charter Schools, Inc., Phoenix, AZ
2. HIVE Preparatory School, Hialeah, FL
3. NYOS Charter School in Austin, TX
4. River City Science Academy, Jacksonville, FL
5. University High School, Fresno, CA

"This is our third year of the IMPACT Awards, and the applicant schools continue to be beacons of hope and inspiration," said Building Hope's Chief Impact Officer and Chair of the IMPACT Selection Committee Sherilyn Moore. "It is both humbling and exciting to realize that the future of education is already here."

For the next round, semi-finalists will be interviewed, and their application packets evaluated by the Selection Committee. The finalists will be announced in March and will receive an expense-paid trip to Building Hope's 3^rd Annual Summit, open to charter leaders nationwide, April 23-25 at the Kimpton EPIC Miami, FL. They will present a 10-minute IMPACT talk in-person as their final round. Awards will be presented at a gala on the final evening of the Summit.

IMPACT-winning leaders are inducted into the prestigious leadership circle, where they will join past IMPACT award winners in a powerful thought-and-action professional charter leadership organization which provides support, connections, and additional sponsored events designed to level-up practices and nurture growth, so more students can experience the type of excellence in education demonstrated by IMPACT schools.

Additional information, including selection criteria and program rules, is available at www.buildinghope.org/impact/awards.

About Building Hope

Building Hope is a national non-profit that empowers advancements in education through our work with charter schools providing unparalleled facility financing, real estate development, and operational services. We believe a facility should never be the barrier preventing a child from attending a great school. During our 20-year history, Building Hope has supported over $1Billion in charter school projects schools serving nearly 200,000 children.    

For more information, visit www.buildinghope.org.   

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SOURCE Building Hope