our vision
The Academy will provide a living, working and learning environment for young men to grow and thrive in order to recover from their troubled backgrounds. It recognizes the degree of impairment each student may have suffered by the disruption or breakdown in their home and family structure and bridges the developmental gap between their adolescence and adulthood going forward. The program offers them a chance to stabilize their living environment, strengthen their education and teach them life skills as they move into independent adult life. The program invites young adults with the potential to be self-motivated and who have a personal desire and willingness to volunteer for this program. Success is based on one’s own motivation and self-discipline to engage the process and with supervision and guidance to work to make ones experience successful. This means that unmotivated and incorrigible youth will have little chance for success at the Academy. This is not a facility for delinquent or wayward youth with drug or alcohol addictions. A hallmark of The Academy for Life is its emphasis on Philanthropy and Public Service. The Academy will instill in each of its members the tenant that their life will be more meaningful and purposeful as they develop a generous attitude toward giving back to their fellow man and to their community. (Please find more about our philanthropy program, in "Our Programs” tab).
Our Master Plan
It will take another five+ years for our master plan to be completed.
We have started the first stage of the Academy in South Florida. We have bought and renovated a 3000 square foot, 10-bedroom and 6 bath duplex in Miami, Florida in the area of Wynwood Art District. The 6 bedrooms on the 2nd floor are used as income producing Airbnb rooms that we donate in part to the Academy. Jay Frederick has done an outstanding job with all the decor and has completely landscaped the yard including a sand filled beach and an American Native Indian built Chickee Hut. We will begin to host “Volunteer Enrollment Parties” and also fundraising parties in June 2020. We will also begin interviewing 18 to 25-year old's to be our first staff members. They will live at the Miami property and help create the programs. In 2022 we plan to begin receiving 6 students a year for the first 4 years. The staff members will become the first mentors to our 1st group of students. In the 5th year we plan to slowly begin increasing the yearly enrollment up to 50 new students a year. For the 2nd stage (between 2020 and 2022) we will acquire land to build a “cabin” retreat that will house the students and staff. At the present, we also have 4 acres of land and a 4 thousand square foot home in Rehoboth Delaware to build our 2nd stage of the Academy. (If we choose to and are legally able to do so at this location). This project is with the Land Development Engineers at this point. After the 2nd stage will come the permanent location for the Academy. This stage will require significant funding that has yet to be raised. Major fundraising efforts will be launched to acquire the requisite funds for this project.
our team
We see a great need in the United States to offer an alternative to a traditional system of education and life skills that often fails some young men and women. We feel that this program is a dream come true for many young people who otherwise would fall through the cracks. We know there is a tremendous need for this kind of program that will take boys (and eventually girls) from a troubled childhood to self-sufficiency in adulthood.
A flower from the landscape at the property in Miami.
Our Needs
We are also looking for (but are not limited to) assistance in the following areas:
Any type of philanthropy expertise, fundraising, grants writing, Internet promotion, technology, video and photography and land donation (for the permanent Academy), As a note- Land donations can be used to offset property tax of adjacent property to one’s home; while the owner continues to live in their home for the duration of their life. We also want: Your suggestions, wisdom and expertise in areas not listed.
We are putting together an advisory committee of individuals that are good at brainstorming ideas for growing the Academy. If you feel you would be an asset to this committee; please contact us so we can discuss it with you. This committee will be held in person with the use of Skype or cell phones for members that cannot meet in person. We urge you to contact us with any thoughts, suggestions and questions.