Learning Academy Opens with Excitement and Joy

It’s hard to imagine the first day of school in a new building going any more smoothly than the opening of the K-12 Learning Academy on August 24.

The opening of the new Cornerstones of Care Education Campus, which includes the Learning Academy, has been nearly two years in the making. Over that time, work crews updated and repaired the former Archbishop O’Hara High School building to make it ready for the 100 students who were referred to the Learning Academy from more than 40 school districts, including some from as far away as 60 miles.

Although some final work remains, the building and staff were ready when the first students arrived for classes shortly after 7:30 a.m. Teachers were readying their classrooms or on traffic duty to direct drivers who were uncertain where to enter and drop off students. Students were greeted at drop off by Board Chair Dr. Yvette Richards, President and CEO Merideth Rose, and Chief Programs and Innovation Officer Justin Horton.

Some students shyly entered the new building while others greeted teachers and fellow students they haven’t seen since May. Team members brought groups of students to the new cafeteria for breakfast, as local TV news crews covered the first day of school throughout the morning.

Behind the scenes, the opening day capped a renovation process nearly a year in the making. Crews updated the 90,000-square-foot campus, which had been closed for nearly 10 years. They also added a commercial kitchen, a therapy suite, a resource room, and other amenities to support children and families working through trauma. Final preparations ran up to opening day: over the weekend, volunteers from United Methodist Church of the Resurrection helped with last-minute fixes to make sure the building was ready for new students.

This milestone extends to Cornerstones of Care as well, whose roots in supporting children and families go back more than 150 years. The renovated building will provide new levels of support to students and enhance collaboration among three other education and skill-building programs located in the building.

“This is more than a facility – it’s a declaration,” Merideth said. “It stands as a powerful reminder of what our community can achieve when we invest decisively and unapologetically in the well-being of children and families.”