Company
northeast site
- 2315 18th Place NE
- Washington, DC 20018
- Phone: (202) 269-6623
- Fax: (202) 269-6632
Southeast site
- 421 Alabama Avenue SE
- Washington, DC 20032
- Phone: (202) 373-0246
At Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School (AoH), we believe in the power of advocacy to transform lives, communities, and the landscape of adult education. Our journey, spanning the last 39 years, is a testament to the unwavering commitment to championing policies that uplift adult learners and create pathways to success.
We envision a world where no adult is limited by systemic barriers of race, gender, and more — and a world where education doesn’t just shepherd people through flawed systems, but acts to transform and reimagine those systems.
$10.15 million dollars in Career Pathways Innovation Funding across the District in just 6 years
Roughly $700,000 in Career Pathways Innovation Funding for AoH
More than $10 million dollars in Adult Learner Transportation Subsidies across the District
Prior to the subsidy, AoH was spending around $20,000 a year on tokens. That cost would have surely increased over the years as enrollment grew. Students also report that the subsidy helps them remain in school helping our retention and advancement efforts.
$1 million to support adult literacy programs serving beginning readers
Roughly $5.67 million in “hold harmless” funding in 2020. Without this legislation, AoH would have faced a roughly $1.42 million gap in per pupil funding.
A State High School Diploma for adult learners who pass the GED
Early access to the COVID vaccine for adult charter staff
Asking to increase UPSFF funding from 89% of K-12 to 100% of K-12
Defend Career Pathways Innovation Fund
Defend Adult Learner Transit Subsidy program
AoH needs to build a strategy to better center learners voices in the following ways:
Successfully advocated for the creation of the Career Pathways Task Force. It was $500k in the first year and $1.5 million in following years.
This money was granted to adult education providers across the District to pilot and scale best practices for integrating adult education and workforce training.
AoH receives around $100k from the CPIF through the OSSE/WIC grant. The first payment was ultimately what launched our workforce training programs.
Successfully advocated for the creation of a State High School Diploma for individuals who pass the GED or complete NEDP
AoH hosted Ward 8 State Board of Education (SBOE) member Tierra Jolly for a mock SBOE meeting so learners could practice testifying before the board.
16 learners testified or submitted written testimony in support of the creation of a diploma
Defended the Career Pathways Innovation Fund and successfully advocated for it to be restored after the Mayor cut it from the budget.
Began campaign for transit subsidy program. Ultimately secured a report from the Deputy Mayor for Education’s office detailing a need for the subsidy program.
Defended the Career Pathways Innovation Fund and successfully advocated for it to be restored after the Mayor cut it from the budget.
Successfully advocated for the creation of a nearly $2 million Adult Learner Transit Subsidy program that would support adult learners across the District.
Successfully advocated for the creation of a $500,000 grant for programs serving adults with the lowest levels of literacy.
AoH received a grant from this pot of money
Served on a taskforce that advised on implementation of the Adult Learner Transit Subsidy Program
Defended the Career Pathways Innovation Fund and successfully advocated for it to be restored after the Mayor cut it from the budget.
Successfully defended the $500,000 grant for programs serving adults with the lowest levels of literacy.
Successfully advocated for an increase to the Adult Learner Transit Subsidy program (monthly amount increased from $50 to $70).
AoH was the only witness to testify in support of this request
Defended the Career Pathways Innovation Fund and successfully advocated for it to be restored after the Mayor cut it from the budget. After restoration, the fund was increased to $2.15 million
In response to the threat of the pandemic, successfully advocated for all adult charters to receive stabilization funding based on projected enrollment for SY2020-21.
Without this legislation, AoH’s UPSFF allocation would have been roughly $4.25 million. With the legislation, AoH’s UPSFF allocation was roughly $5.67 million.
Successfully advocated for the allocation of $900,000 to support healthcare training programs like AoH
In the process of advancing this request, Councilmember Silverman’s staff said we were the only provider to be in touch about the ask.
Successfully advocated that staff of adult charter schools be given early access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Successfully advocated for stabilization language to be included in the FY22 budget and successfully advocated against language that would have been detrimental to AoH’s FY22 budget. Without AoH advocacy, it’s possible–if not likely–that similar language to FY21 would have made it into the budget and locked AoH into funding at 415 students regardless of enrollment.
