September 2022

Karina B. struggled with some mental health issues that made going to a public school difficult. She was anxious around large groups and suffered from depression which exhausted her both emotionally and physically. “This school helped me finally face myself. Did I really want to spend my whole life going in circles? Or did I want to move forward with my life?” she explained. “I was given that extra support I needed to grow as an individual and do schoolwork at my own pace.”

She credits many of our sponsored workshops in helping her develop social-emotional health and coping skills. Karina transformed into an eager and successful student and was offered a paid position as an alumni ambassador at her school to help assist and guide current students. During our College Week event, she shared her knowledge and experience about life after graduation, such as enrolling in college and juggling college classes with work. 

Just in time for the 2022-23 school year, we have opened Flex High School of Pontiac, formerly known as Life Skills Center Pontiac. We have kept all of the teachers and classes our students were comfortable with.

This marks our third school in Michigan and fifth in the Midwest. With our focus on personalized learning, one-on-one attention and a flexible schedule, we are successful in helping students earn their diploma while gaining life skills and job training. A majority of our students came to us at age 17+, more than 55 credits behind and at risk of dropping out. We bathe them in attention, tutoring and counseling to keep them on a path to graduation.

Pontiac’s population of 60,000 residents is 47 percent Black and 22 percent Hispanic. More than 34 percent live below the poverty line, a number that is significantly higher than the national average of 12.3 percent. “Having a high school that offers a flexible schedule is essential to this population, because youngsters often need to work and go to school,” explained principal Jason Morton. “At Flex High School, they can do both.”

Traditional high school was a challenge for Sophia G. because a chronic illness and need for surgery had her missing so many classes that she was falling behind. With a flexible school schedule, she could go at her own pace, and her teachers even made sure she got her assignments when she was home sick or in the hospital.

“I joined our school administrator’s mentor group, and it was one of the most enlightening things I experienced here,” she explained. “He always told me there’s no right time to graduate high school or accomplish anything, there was just your time, and your timing is perfect.”