Episode 10:
Changemakers: To cap CCSA's observance of Native American Heritage Month, we’re bringing back a special Changemakers interview from Season 1 in which CCSA’s President and CEO Myrna Castrejon sits down with Marcos Aguilar, Head of School at Anawakalmekak International University Preparatory of North America. Anawakalmekak is a charter public school with three campuses in East Los Angeles. It’s one of the most unique charter schools because it focuses on indigenous cultures, histories, and native ways of knowing. Anawakalmekak also partners with local tribes on social justice issues such as land rights.
Spreading the Joy of Tiny Houses: During the holidays, we often pause to reflect on what we’re grateful for, like having a place to call home. But owning a home is still out of reach for most individuals and families living in California. One charter public school helping alleviate the problem at a local level is The Learning Choice Academy (TLC), a public hybrid charter school in San Diego County. For the past four years, high school students enrolled in the school’s career tech program have been building and selling “tiny homes” as part of its “Tiny House Project.”
My View From Here (audio commentary): Learn4Life is one of the most prominent charter public school networks in California that specializes in personalized learning. Its mission is to curb the state’s high school dropout rate by offering some of the most vulnerable students another chance to earn their diploma through a flexible, independent study option. In this “My View From Here” audio commentary, we hear from Skip Hansen, Co-Founder and President of Lifelong Learning, a nonprofit which manages the Learn 4 Life charter public school network. He says personalized learning is critical in K-12 public education because its transforming the lives of countless students who have given up hope.