From the time he was young, Christian Johnson has been a gifted trumpet player. That spark grew into a flame when he was in fourth grade and got invited backstage to meet legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

At Lowcountry Acceleration Academy — like its sister schools across the United States — it’s impossible for young learners to get lost.

To Rhyannon Jovan, there’s nothing more rewarding than helping a young learner find their voice through writing — especially if it’s a voice that’s been squelched through racism, poverty and other forces of exclusion.

When Malu Montero Britto moved to the United States from Peru as a 5th grader, the transition was rough. In addition to adjusting to a new country and language, she had to deal with an unjustified hostility from some of her peers.

When schools finally reopened after being closed for months during the Covid pandemic, Olivia Jones had fallen far behind. And the large, traditional high school to which she returned only made things worse.

Even before the car crash, traditional high school wasn’t working for Nathan Godwin.

Walk into Acceleration Academies of Ector County and you will find sisters Alliyah and Kaisa Navarrette hard at work on the courses needed to earn their high school diplomas and move in the direction of their dreams.

To see Peyton Campbell glide around the room at Wichita Acceleration Academies, you’d never guess that he’s a young man who’s seen more than his share of struggle.

When her baby Esme was born with her intestines outside her body, Trista White and the child’s dad lived in the hospital room for months, supporting their child as doctors performed surgery after surgery and dealt with complication after complication.