Kevin's Blog

Right before we closed our office for Easter, we received a grant notification from the US Department of Education that we have been awarded $9.6 million to expand and replicate our model in Indiana and Louisiana. Wow! That's a whole lot of Easter eggs.

This was a competitive grant application and we earned 361 points out of 363 possible on our score. This grant is a five-year grant and will assist GEO in expanding enrollment in Gary, Indy and Baton Rouge by 1,600 students and provide startup support for us to open three new schools in Indiana and Louisiana (locations to be determined) to serve another 1250 students.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry Highlights GEO's High School Model in Address to LA Legislature, New Schools Baton Rouge CEO Ken Campbell Highlights GEO's Innovative Model in US Congressional Testimony

In 2023, the education reform movement mostly focused on the dramatic expansion of school choice policies across the country. From universal education savings accounts to the expansion of voucher eligibility, 2023 was a banner year for school choice. However, despite the focus on school choice policy, there was one little-noticed but powerful development in Indiana that could, especially if replicated in other states, set the stage for a dramatic expansion in the number of students who earn college credits while in high school. Read the full Article.

A virtual tour of 21st Century Charter School's future Athletic Center

The New York Times and Sports Illustrated featured articles on Gary, Indiana this past week. The NYT article was about efforts to change the narrative of the Steel City, a city that has lost more than half its population and suffers from high unemployment and high crime. Standing in the shadows of the Chicago skyline, the media often call Gary the most miserable city in America.

Serving students K-8th grade, GEO Prep Mid-City takes a focused approach to education by prioritizing college preparedness. Principal Christina Kelly states they “start from the beginning by setting an expectation” to attend college. She highlights that college prep can start as early as kindergarten, “First, we tell students, we want them to matriculate from Kindergarten to eighth grade. Then, we do several activities with the high school.”

Two Indiana high school seniors were celebrated for major academic accomplishments on Thursday.

Both Abram Lewis and Khaya Njumpe will receive their bachelor's degrees before graduating high school. Two years ago, the two earned associate degrees from Ivy Tech Lake County.

Khaya Njumpe, 15, and Abram Lewis, 17, will finish high school with bachelor's degrees already in hand after completing their associate degrees two years ago.