Programs and Services

The Academy offers five major programs. Those programs are:

Tutoring and After-school Homework Programs

The Tutoring and Homework Program is an after school educational enrichment program for at-risk secondary students who live in our inner-city community. The program is designed to demonstrate that the trend of poor student achievement can be reversed and that all students can master academic standards if they are given time, support and instruction that focuses on their academic needs.

Tutoring

Student tutors are the heart of the program. We use recommended high-school students and college students to tutor and work with students individually or in small groups offering not only tutoring, but also friendship, encouragement, and guidance. The Tutoring Program focuses the efforts of teachers on the diagnosed academic needs of students and harnesses the energies of tutors and learning assistance staff to reinforce the teachers’ efforts. The relationship that develops between tutors, teachers and students provides the kind of guidance, support and inspiration necessary for their future success. One caring person can make a difference in a young person’s life.

Our after school tutoring program is dedicated to raising academic achievement levels for low income and at-risk youth in our inner city community. Our successes in helping the student achieve the outcomes of the tutoring and homework activity translates into student success in the classroom the following day.

After-School Homework Program

Kids often need help completing homework after school. Parents need to review the homework and connect the dots to the values and expectations set at home. Our after-school homework program provides 1 on 1 and group tutoring sessions for students who need completing and understanding their homework and assignments.

The purpose of the program is to provide opportunities to extend our students’ learning time to outside the regular classroom day. The tutoring homework program targets our underachievers whom we often lose due to their lack of success.

Both of these programs give students an opportunity to do homework, access the Internet, use technology, and receive help from certified teachers and college education majors in a pleasant, well-supervised environment. Also, it gives our student teachers and student tutors a rewarding opportunity to provide their time and academic expertise to others in need.

Homeschool Program Support

Finally… A Home for the Homeschooled

Homeschooling can be immensely rewarding for kids and parents. But if you’re huddled together in a cramped and cluttered corner of your dining room or have to move books and supplies off the kitchen table multiple times a day for meals – not so much. You don’t have to replicate a traditional school classroom to teach your child yourself. But modifying your home to create a peaceful and inspiring environment can pay huge dividends in terms of productivity and learning. This is especially true if your child has special needs, requires a lot of encouragement to learn or if like to teach outside. Research shows that kids learn better when doing indoor exercise activities while learning. This builds on the Montessori idea that movement enhances cognition. We mainly use the mini-trampoline (or rebounder) to let them jump while we read, teach a lesson, or while quizzing them on spelling, multiplication tables, etc. It is also a great place for them to move around during breaks, especially when it is raining outside.

We provide classroom space, technology, science and engineering lab space for homeschooled children. We provide high-speed Internet access and use the latest software applications to support your child’s homeschool experience. We have the latest computer equipment, projectors, high-definition touchscreen SmartTVs, dry- erase and all the supplies and materials for your use in a homeschool learning space.

We can schedule virtual or onsite instructors to teach advanced mathematics or science courses. These are often courses that a parent may not be as comfortable teaching. You remain in control of your child’s homeschool journey, we provide the program support you need and your child deserves.

Summer Camp Programs

Our programs are for you if you are an elementary, middle, or high school student interested in exploring future STEM career possibilities, preparing for college, and honing your leadership skills. Our classes can be your springboard to investigating career pathways and learning to be a leader at school and in your community.

Our STEM summer camp sessions are targeted for middle school kids, ages 11- 14yrs old. Each session is 5 days (M-F), with camp doors opening at 8am and closing at 5:30pm Extended day options are available.

2019 Summer Camp Schedule

  • Session #1 – 24 – 28 June
  • Session #2 – 8 – 12 July
  • Session #3 – 22 – 26 July
  • Session #4 – 5- 9 August
  • Session #5 – 19 -23 August

STEM Business Innovation ”Shark Tank”

Kid’s develop a business plan and participate in entrepreneurial workshops. Kids are natural innovators and when they learn from local business owners that their plan could win The Academy’s Entrepreneurial Challenge, a “shark tank” experience.

STEM Coding | Gamification

Using games to teach, and adding gamification principles to the classroom, can make learning meaningful, engaging, and fun! Kids in this program learn how to build video games through coding, build their own app available on Android and Apple devices.

STEM-Engineering

Kids build their own version of Richmond and learn about civil engineering. We partner with instructors from the VCU School of Engineering to teach the course. A tour and an onsite visit at the school provides a collegiate academic experience.

STEM Medical

Explore a variety of specialized medical fields through this program’s exciting, hands-on interactive curriculum, small group activities, and true-to-life medical workshops. Students explore medical careers, receive CPR training and certification.

STEM Space

Students build and explore their interest rockets. Youth role play in an emergency “Mission to Mars”. City and state agencies provide emergency management training and career exploration.

STEM Music | Audio/Video Production

Not everyone fits the profile for a traditional scientist. In this course, kids learn how the music they choose can provide another avenue to experience success in STEM and related careers. Adding video and music production to STEM programs helps to inspire creativity and imagination. In this session, students learn audio and video production by making their own beats, videos and their own ”hype” videos.

STEM Art

Art encourages creative thinking and innovative interpretations. Oil paint, canvas frames and brushes allow imaginative opportunities for communication and expression. Art animation programs are also used to show the connection between STEM and art!

SAT/ACT Prep Workshops

We’ve partnered with the College Board – the makers of the SAT – and Khan Academy to offer an intensive 8 hour Saturday or Sunday SAT/ACT Prep Workshop. We also offer a tailored practice plan for you based on a diagnostic or your SAT or PSAT/NMSQT® scores.

In either case, we work with high school students and review practice questions, watch several videos, have interactive lessons, and share best practices and helpful test-taking hints.

This program uses the official Khan Academy SAT prep program along with experienced SAT instructors to prepare students for the SAT and college-level courses. SAT practice reinforces what students are learning in school by helping them focus on the knowledge and skills most essential for college.

Outschool Program

The Leadership and Achievement Academy (The Academy) is a non-profit organization 501(c)3 based in Richmond, Virginia. We offer unique STEM learning experiences for bright, forward-thinking elementary and middle school students. Our learners will evolve into our next generation of innovators, engineers, doctors, forensic scientists, mathematicians, and physicists. During our sessions, learners participate in virtual compute simulations while making new friends and having unforgettable adventures aligned to technology that interest them.

On the OutSchool platform, we prepare learners for tomorrow! Our learners acquire knowledge in how to invest in the Stock Market in our Making Money in the Stock Market class. We teach coding and programming to English and non-English speaking learners in our TECHNOLOSchicas coding course. We compliment our academic classes with our 25 mins of Fitness Fun, a low-impact high-intensity, and fun fitness class.

To Join us. Please CLICK HERE.