Congratulations to the 2023 Award Winners

Three glass teardrop-shaped awards with blue heart designs inside, displayed on a white table with a blue background.

CONGRATULATIONS to the 2nd Annual Building Hope Summit & Awards WINNERS!

Building Hope could not be more inspired by the amazing charter schools who are models of Community Engagement, Student Empowerment, Educational Innovation & S. Joseph Bruno Award. These charter schools lead the way in serving students and communities with unique and effective educational programs.

We are also honored to spotlight three extraordinary charter school volunteers, who are contribute their love and light to creating vibrant communities for families across the country.

Our finalists are all linked below. Please take a moment to visit them to appreciate the great work they do on behalf of public charter school students. Each one is unique, but they all serve their communities with dedicated excellence.

We want to thank charter schools, their leaders, and their volunteers, who are building hope for a better future each and every day.

Engaging families

Community Engagement Winners

Communty Engagement is key for a charter school to thrive. Engaging families in the work and serving family needs supports each student’s success. Bringing in resources from outside the school family and sharing the gifts and resources of the school with the neighborhood for the benefit of the whole community are other hallmarks of our three winners.
Logo of Memphis Business Academy with three stylized human figures stacked vertically in yellow, blue, and red.

$20,000 Grant Winner: Memphis STEM Academy Elementary School

2180 Frayser Blvd.
Memphis, TN 38127
Website
Codman Academy Charter Public School emblem featuring an open book with sun rays.

$10,000 Grant Winner: Codman Academy

637 Washington St
Dorchester, MA 02124
Website
Logo of International Community School with blue shield containing letters I, C, S, and a globe icon.

$10,000 Grant Winner: International Community School

2418 Wood Trail Lane
Decatur, GA 30033
Website
empowering students

Student Empowerment Winners

Student Empowerment is at the core of every great school, but our three winners are laser-focused on giving their students the tools they need to succeed in school and in life. When a student is supported and their voice heard, it is the key that unlocks their potential. Students who are empowered lead the way to the future.
Galileo School logo with a circular tree symbol and the text 'galileoschool FOR GIFTED LEARNING'.

$20,000 Grant Winner: Galileo School for Gifted Learning

3900 East, FL-46
Sanford, FL 32771
Website
Logo of Exploration High School with letters E and HS and a compass design.

$10,000 Grant Winner: Exploration High School

229 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Website
Logo with three overlapping triangles in gray, blue, and orange above the text 'Life Learning Academy'.

$10,000 Grant Winner: Life Learning Academy

651 8th Street, Treasure Island
San Francisco, CA 94130
Website
innovating education

Education Innovation Winners

Educational Innovation is critical to be able to support students with education that prepares them for an ever-changing world. The ability to adapt effectively and create programs that serve the unique needs of students, the hopes and dreams of a community, and the future of education defines our three winners in this category.
Legal Prep Charter Academy logo featuring a gavel above a banner with the school name.

$20,000 Grant Winner: Legal Prep Charter Academy

4319 W Washington Blvd
Chicago, IL 60624
Website
Health Leadership High School logo with heartbeat line and green leaf.

$10,000 Grant Winner: Health Leadership High School

6401 Jefferson St. NE
Albuquerque, NM 8710
Website
Logos Public Charter School logo with an orange circle containing a white letter L and the tagline 'Innovative Education Kindergarten to Career'.

$10,000 Grant Winner: Logos Public Charter School

1203 N Ross Ln
Medford, OR 97501
Website
Making their mark

The S. Joseph Bruno Charter Leadership Award Winner

This Charter Leadership Award honors charter schools who lead the way in the charter school movement. These schools excel in Educational Innovation, Student Empowerment, and/or Community Engagement and have made their mark on the charter school landscape. Single locations and small networks are honored for their IMPACT on students, their families, and the local and charter communities.
True North Classical Academy logo featuring a stylized column with a purple arch above.

$20,000 Grant Winner: True North Classical Academies

9393 SW 72nd St
Miami, FL, 33173
Website
Blue emblem of Greenville Technical Charter High School with symbolic imagery inside.

$10,000 Grant Winner: Greenville Technical Charter High School

506 S Pleasantburg Dr
Greenville, SC 29607
Website
Logo of California School of the Arts San Gabriel Valley with stylized colored squares.

$10,000 Grant Winner: California School of the Arts

1401 Highland Ave
Duarte, CA 91010
Website
Leading with love

Shellie-Ann Braswell Shine Brighter Award Winners

Shellie-Ann Braswell Shine Brighter Award winners demonstrate a true commitment and ability to lead with love. Volunteers are often the backbone of a charter school’s culture and family engagement, and it takes leaders who are both doers and dreamers to bring people together for the common cause of improving the lives of our children.

$5,000 Grant Winner: Megan Hunt

Carolina Charter School
8529 NC-55
Angier, NC 27501
Website

$5,000 Grant Winner: Mark Horst

Yoder Charter School
9808 S Yoder Rd
Haven, KS 67543
Website

$5,000 Grant Winner: Cara Nowak

Desert Sky Montessori
63175 OB Riley Road
Bend, OR 97703
Website

Thank you for supporting Community Engagement, Student Empowerment & Innovative Education!


Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects.” — Dalai Lama