Hope Creek Academy

My name is Jim White, and I am a teacher at Hope Creek Academy, a private, non-profit, special needs school in Durham, NC.  We currently have 60 students including kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, and an independent living class.  Over half of our students are on the Autism Spectrum, with the rest being a mix of ADD, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and various other behavioral issues. 

Often, we are the last resort for many students and parents as our kids have been thrown out of public school and often even several private schools. We deal with the behavior no one else wants to. Our goal is to get our students to a point where they can return to a school setting in a self-contained, inclusion, or a traditional classroom. Several of our high schoolers graduated this year and are going on to college. It is very hard work but equally as rewarding.



As our elective, this fall, my co-worker, Mackenzie Smet and I want to help our kids develop, record, and publish their own podcast to be called, "I Am Special," about life as a special needs student. We plan to include interviews with other students, teachers, parents, and other professionals working in the field. This money will go toward purchasing a computer, podcast software, headphones, and a USB microphone. Any money raised beyond our goal will be donated to our scholarship fund to help parents who struggle to meet tuition.
Thanks so much to everyone in advance.