Our Vision

We stand with young parents—no matter what.

The Chiles Academy recently celebrated 20 years of service to this unique vision. The mission of The Chiles Academy is to combine a community of support and guidance for pregnant and parenting students with the goal of attaining a high school diploma, which will empower them to become independent and responsible citizens. Pregnant and parenting students are unique within the realm of dropout prevention. Our philosophy is that in order to achieve the goal of attaining a high school diploma, this population must have most, if not all, of the following: 

• Consistent, accurate, and non-judgmental communication from caring adults

• A nurturing relationship with an adult

• The opportunity to do something well and recognition for efforts made

• Focus on the person and her individual needs

• A chance to contribute to the community

• The opportunity to work, pursue education, values in life, and strong beliefs

• Help for any kind of abuse, be it neglect, emotional, or physical abuse

• The benefits of postponement of pregnancy

• Allow adolescents to think of their lives in terms of achievement as opposed to just being mothers

• The ability to solve problems, communicate feelings, and negotiate with learned skills

The board of directors is still made up of an eclectic group of community members–the majority of whom are founding members–that includes a doctor, a midwife, two pastors, a retired guidance counselor, a local entrepreneur, a family care coordinator, a former student and elementary school teacher, and a municipal accountant. Throughout the course of its history, The Chiles Academy has grown to include a robust community child care program serving over 150 families in the local community, purchased the building where it sits from the district with over $200,000 of donated funds, manages a budget of over $1.8 million, and has 40 employees. 

The school sits on 11 acres in midtown Daytona Beach, FL. In 2008, due to declining enrollment, budget cuts and a complicated bussing system, Bonner Elementary closed its doors to the community it had served since 1926. The Chiles Academy was granted permission to move onto the site from temporary portable classrooms at another nearby school. Spanning one square mile of a once thriving community in the heart of Daytona Beach, the Bonner site retains its cultural and historical significance to residents despite the consistent decline of the neighborhood. In the 32114 zip code where the 35,000 square foot campus is located, the number of families living in poverty is three times the overall county rate, and the percentage of unemployed is twice the county rate. The infant mortality rates among African Americans in this zip code exceeds that of whites by a 4 to 1 ratio, more than doubling since the year 2000. The rate of homeless people including children in Volusia County has quadrupled since 2009. On average during a given school year, 26% of the students enrolled at The Chiles Academy are homeless or housing insecure. 

In 2016, school leaders helped to found the Bonner Chiles Foundation in order to build a charitable giving resource that will directly benefit both the students and families of The Chiles Academy beyond their graduation from high school and the surrounding community members in the Bonner area. To date, the Bonner Chiles Foundation has generated over $40,000 in funds and each year awards scholarships to current and former graduates pursuing higher education. The school is also able to secure $75,000 annually in additional funds from outside donors for: emergency housing services, transportation services, dialers and toiletries for the “chiles cash” diaper program, testing and certification fees for career readiness, and additional equipment and building updates for the school.  

We offer a unique hybrid learning model. Core academic classes are offered online through the Edgenuity platform used throughout the district in addition to blended learning model live courses offered throughout each semester. Original high school credit can be earned for a standard high school diploma. In our Online Learning Lab, FL DOE certified teachers monitor and assist students throughout the day, often remediating lessons in the coursework based on students’ ability and academic needs. We serve students with IEP's, ESOL services are available as needed, and students participate in all state-mandated testing. We offer SAT and ACT and PERT prep coursework on premises. Students will also take classes based on innovative curriculum developed by teachers and practitioners, including the following courses depending on availability: Speech, Creative Writing, “Know Your Rights” Constitutional Law & Government, and every other week art courses are provided by volunteers from the Halifax Art League. Parenting classes include: Child Development, Family Dynamics, Health for Expectant Parents, Life Management Skills, Parenting 1 & 2, Parenting Skills, and Personal, Social & Family Relationships. We have implemented a restorative practice called sharing circles into the parenting curriculum over the course of the last 3 years, and student feedback is helping us shape new and creative ways to add Circle to our larger community practices. Similarly, the adoption of Community Norms has worked to serve as a baseline for behavior expectations and are addressed and amended once a month at Community Meeting. In addition, the Restorative Justice Conferencing model has been adapted to the needs of our conflict resolution process, directly impacting the school’s discipline procedures, frequency, and outcomes.

Over the course of the last four academic years, The Chiles Academy has graduated 91 students with standard high school diplomas, averaging 22 per year. 

For the last three years, we have implemented a program called Career Connections that offers hands-on, experiential-based learning in the following areas: financial literacy, life management skills, health care careers, social work and community organizing, art and creative expression, and business management via our on campus boutique, Thrifty Chic. This program allows students to learn and practice those critical life skills required to support and sustain a young family. A closed-circuit currency is used throughout this program, and students use “Chiles Cash” to shop at our boutique for gently-used baby clothing, toys, toiletries, and to buy a pack of diapers per week. Currency is earned through attendance, community engagement, academic achievement, and positive behaviors. Career Connection is a self-designed program based on our grant of over 10 years with the MicroSociety program. This program was modified this year to move into a collaborative teaching and learning model that brings the whole learning community together in one course, called INTERactions. While many of the same skills and practices are incorporated in INTERactions, the focus is also on soft skills like positive communication, problem-solving, group work, navigating conflict and building interpersonal relationships.

Here at The Chiles Academy, we believe that every parent deserves to feel the full expression of that human experience. The joy, the pain, the full spectrum of a quintessential human experience should be supported and honored. No matter their age, race, economic reality, circumstance or relationship—a parent has every right to experience parenthood on their own terms. We run and operate a school with this as a core operating principle.

Are you willing to stand with us?