From Trauma to Triumph: How Education Can Be a Pathway to Healing
From Trauma to Triumph: How Education Can Be a Pathway to Healing Every June, advocates, clinicians, and survivors observe PTSD Awareness Month, a dedicated time to pull back the curtain on a condition that affects millions of Americans each year. But awareness without action only goes so far. For parents, educators, and advocates who work with children and young adults every day, it’s essential to not only understand trauma but also know how to move through it. Healing through education is one of the most powerful tools we have. Why Trauma Doesn't Stop at the School Door Children don't leave their hardest experiences on the doorstep before walking...
What Is Trauma-Informed Teaching? Strategies, Benefits, and Why It Matters in Today’s Classrooms
Learn what trauma-informed teaching is, why it matters, and practical strategies educators can use to improve student behavior, engagement, and outcomes. What Is Trauma-Informed Teaching? Walk into almost any classroom today, and you will see educators doing far more than delivering instruction. They are managing emotional escalations, rebuilding trust, and supporting students carrying experiences that extend far beyond the classroom. Trauma-informed teaching is an approach that recognizes how trauma impacts learning, behavior, and relationships. Instead of asking, “What is wrong with this student?” educators shift to asking, “What happened to this student, and what do they need to feel safe enough to learn?” This shift is not just...
The Connection Between Literacy and Mental Health in At-Risk Youth
The Connection Between Literacy and Mental Health in At-Risk Youth The conversation around youth mental health often involves issues such as therapy waitlists, social media, bullying, or the stresses of growing up in our time. All of that matters. But there’s another driver that often goes unaddressed: literacy. For many at-risk youth — including students experiencing homelessness, foster care involvement, community violence, discrimination, or family instability — reading challenges are not just an academic problem. They can become a daily source of stress, shame, and isolation that spills into anxiety, depression, and behavioral struggles. The reverse is also true: Poor mental health can make it harder...
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty With Education: Why a Homeschool High School Diploma Holds More Value Than a GED
Poverty rarely stems from one setback. It’s often a pattern of limited opportunities, unstable income, and systemic barriers that reinforce one another. The good news is that finishing high school through a homeschool diploma program can open doors to better jobs, higher wages, and long-term stability in ways that a GED often cannot. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how education interrupts the cycle of poverty and why a homeschool high school diploma is a more powerful tool for success compared to a GED. What Is the Cycle of Poverty? The cycle of poverty describes how economic hardship repeats across a lifetime and often...
National Nonprofit Day: The Importance of Nonprofits in Education
Every August 17th, National Nonprofit Day shines a spotlight on the organizations that fill gaps that government and business often leave unaddressed. Few areas demonstrate that value more clearly than education. From free tutoring hubs in church basements to global scholarship funds, nonprofits keep classrooms open, broaden access, and make learning more relevant to the communities they serve. Why Nonprofits Matter in the Education Ecosystem Nonprofits in the education space make a major difference due to: Sheer scale: The United States is home to over a million nonprofits, a sizable share of which focus on learning and youth development. Economic muscle: Charitable gifts provide essential support...
How to Start Homeschooling Legally in Georgia
How to Start Homeschooling Legally in Georgia Georgia keeps the path to homeschooling refreshingly straightforward, yet every family must follow a few non-negotiable rules. From filing your paperwork on time to saving year-end reports, this guide walks you through each legal requirement so you can teach with confidence and avoid unwanted surprises. Know the Essentials of Georgia’s Home Study Law Georgia recognizes home study as a distinct educational option and sets the ground rules in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690. In brief, you must: Teach children between ages 6 and 16 (compulsory attendance window). Hold a high school diploma or GED to serve as the primary instructor. Deliver 180...
Disability Awareness Month: Supporting Students With Disabilities in Homeschool
July marks Disability Awareness Month — a celebration of disabled identity and culture and the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It’s a timely opportunity to spotlight the strengths of students with disabilities and refine teaching practices that let every learner thrive. Celebrating Disability Awareness in the Classroom — and Beyond Disability Awareness Month offers rich material for history, social studies, and language arts. Traditional school settings and homeschool curricula can benefit from activities such as: Reading memoirs by authors with disabilities, such as Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau Investigating key civil rights milestones, including the Capitol Crawl protest of 1990 Creating art projects...
Tiers Free Academy’s 2025 Rockdale County Graduation
[embed]https://youtu.be/V60xTjjtqCo[/embed] Celebrating Resilience: Tiers Free Academy's 2025 Rockdale County Graduation Empowering Every Learner At Tiers Free Academy, we believe that education should be a sanctuary where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. Our trauma-informed, inclusive approach ensures that learners of all backgrounds receive the support they need to thrive academically and personally. Whether students come from traditional school pushout, mental health challenges, or systemic marginalization, we provide them with a second chance—and a pathway to success. Highlights from the 2025 Graduation Ceremony The 2025 Rockdale County Graduation was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when community and compassion come together. Families, educators, and supporters celebrated the resilience and...
Pride, Persistence, and Possibility: Addressing Educational Exclusion and Dropout Rates Among LGBTQ+ Students
Pride, Persistence, and Possibility: Addressing Educational Exclusion and Dropout Rates Among LGBTQ+ Students Celebrating Pride and Shining a Light on Educational Exclusion June is Pride Month—a time to celebrate the resilience, visibility, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. But for many LGBTQ+ students, the journey through the education system is far from affirming. Instead, it’s marked by rejection, invisibility, and marginalization. At The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation, we’re committed to disrupting these cycles by building trauma-informed, inclusive learning pathways that honor every student’s identity. The Hidden Crisis—LGBTQ+ Dropout Rates and Educational Pushout The statistics are staggering. LGBTQ+ students are significantly more likely to experience bullying, harassment, and exclusionary...
Mental Health Awareness Month: Managing Student Stress and Anxiety
School years should be a time of growth, discovery, and excitement as students get to taste the world and all its possibilities. Yet this time often comes with its share of negative emotions, too. The American Institute of Stress reports that 75% of high school students and 50% of middle school students are consistently stressed by schoolwork, while 70% of U.S. teens (aged 13-17) consider anxiety and depression to be major problems among their peers. Mental Health Awareness Month is the perfect time to highlight student mental health and take a closer look at how these issues affect learners in every corner of the nation....