Gabriella Changed Her Scenery and Changed Her Story

June 2023

News, updates and perspectives on the

future of education from Learn4Life

Growing up around rampant drug use, instability at home and bullying at school is a too common reason high school students give up and drop out.

For Gabriella “Gabby” M., she chose another option by removing herself from the negative situations that surrounded her. While attending a public high school in Philadelphia, Gabby was bullied and felt unsafe every day. She had enough and decided it was time for a change. She left Philadelphia and moved in with her grandmother in Charleston, SC.

She tried online school to stay focused but couldn’t hold herself accountable and started falling behind. She needed a fresh start and a change in her education and Learn4Life was the answer. She was able to catch up, focus on school instead of fearing for her life and is on track to graduate this year.

Changing Stories One Student at a Time

Again and again we hear from our students that coming to our school was life changing. For the first time they had teachers and staff who really listened to them and cared about them as individuals. With their lessons tailored to their strengths, weaknesses and learning styles, they flourished and gained confidence. Many who thought they might never earn a high school diploma were making plans for college.

When we ask students to share their stories, we ask them, “Where do you think you would be if you had not come to Learn4Life?” Here are a few of their responses:

Students: Slide into Summer Break Without Risking the Summer Slide

Learning loss during summer break has been a concern of educators and parents for decades. Summer brain drain is a real thing, with the average student losing up to 34 percent of the prior year’s learning gains during the long break.

Fortunately, there is a lot that parents can do to keep their kids engaged and learning all summer. Studies show that while most students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months – especially those in higher grades – children who continue to read instead gain skills.