Today's Learners for Tomorrow's Leaders

Dear Friends,

My name is Amanda Cooley, and I am the Founder and Director of Unlimited Dreams Christian Learning Center in Laurel, Mississippi. The school was started in April of 2020, and opened the school for students in August of 2020 (In the middle of a Pandemic/Covid19). Since that time, we have enrolled 120 students, members of primarily single-family homes, who are from underprivileged and underserved communities in Jones County and the surrounding areas of Wayne and Jasper Counties. We are providing these children, ages 4 – 18 years, a with a quality, accredited education, at no cost to their parents; and as a Christian learning center, we are giving them training that focuses on christian standards, character development, in addition to academics. Our goal is to prepare the students at our school in every area of life so that they can not only dream unlimited dreams, but they will be equipped to see those dreams become reality. Presently Unlimited Dreams Christian Learning Center has a “quality” school status, but we are in the process of attempting to upgrade to a 21 st Century School. This school model focuses on transforming today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders by offering various academic and leadership classes that are designed to develop those abilities, talents, and gifts in our students that will prepare them to serve in various capacities of leadership in the future. The 21 st Century schools focus on analytical development, digital literacy, personalized learning, equity and diversity, learning through doing, community relationship, family involvement, literacy campaigns, and many other helpful resources. Converting to this type of school will require that our instructors receive additional training and require that we get to know each of our students individually so that we can teach them based on their capacity for learning. This, we believe, will ensure that each student gets a better and more targeted education which will enhance their strengths and gifts. While all students will be required to master the general academic requirements, they will be also given an opportunity to develop and enrich interests and abilities specific to them.

This conversion, along with our dedication to our students and our instruction of Godly and moral principles that will help shape the character of our students, will make our school one to be replicated throughout the State of Mississippi. Our focus is our students and helping them to become the best people that they can be academically, spiritually, mentally, and physically. Our enrollment is currently 100 students, and we also have a waiting list; but we have reached capacity at our current location. We have, however, located a facility in the area which is available for purchase and that cannot only accommodate our current students and staff and those on the waiting list, but it will afford us room for the growth that we anticipate. We are seeking your assistance to make this space the new home of Unlimited Dreams Christian Learning Center. We are seeking assistance in the amount of $500,000 to purchase the facility which will provide chapel, school, and STEM Center. The chapel will be used for daily devotion and assembly, the school will be used for educational and family workshops, and a portion of it will also be used as a school pantry for clothes, food, and school supplies. In addition to the requested selling price, other expenses will need to be covered with this acquisition. The buildings need some repairs, we will need to hire more teachers, and our teaching staff will have to have additional training. Also, we will need additional transportation, equipment, furnishings and supplies, and we would also like an additional two (2) to three (3) years working capital. A breakdown of the costs included in this requested amount is shown below. We believe that the acquisition of this property could impact thousands of lives over the next several years and over time reduce the number of underserved communities in Jones, Wayne, and Jasper Counties because of the many Unlimited Dreams Christian Learning Center graduates who make the decision to “pay it forward” after they have achieved a level of success. We also believe that once our school has operated successfully at its maximum offerings, other schools will begin to emerge throughout the State of Mississippi providing the same or similar services for our youth and families who often get neglected and ignored. We know there is a great need for this service, and we desire to pioneer this effort now because of the opportunities that have presented themselves at this time. You support is needed and greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance,

Amanda Cooley, Founder