When listening to teens is the answer

“There are many reasons why students come to us,” says Isai Melgoza, Counselor/Mentor at Por Vida Academy Charter High School.  It doesn’t matter how they get here, whatever their circumstance, how complex their story, we open our doors and invite them in. We offer them support and guidance in a variety of ways--all to make sure these young people earn a high school diploma and plan for a successful future.”

Lead teacher Mrs. Ramones and Raven

Raven was 14 when her son Isaiah Jr. was born. She struggled with missingschool--taking days off to accompany Isaiah to doctors’ appointments and otherchild related responsibilities. “As a result, I ended up getting kicked out ofthe school district, not just the high school I was attending, but the wholedistrict,” Raven Ortegon-Hernandez states. “Thehigh school I was attending at the time didn't bother listening to mysituation, but Por Vida Academy did. So I enrolled at PVA and they understandwhat it is like to have certain situations going on at home.  In additionthey helped me to be able to graduate early at the age of 16 years old. Theyare the only school that has ever listened to my situation and they worked withme the whole way through. Por Vida Academy will not only change your attitudebut it will also change your life.”

Isaiah Jr.

"At Por Vida Academy I can go at my own pace,”say Isaiah Ramirez, Isaiah Jr.’s father, also a PVA student. “The student toteacher ratio is smaller so it’s easier to get help and understand thesubjects. I have struggled in school ever since I was little and here I ammoving up from freshman to sophomore and I’m only halfway through the schoolyear. Por Vida Academy is the best school I have ever gone to."

In addition to working on their academics, Raven and Isaiah participate in youth character development programs Xinachtli (for girls) and El Joven Nobles (for boy) and together in Raising Children with P.R.I.D.E. (Purpose, Responsibility, Interdependence, Development, Enthusiasm a program supporting teen parents.

For more than 23years, Por Vida Academy Charter High School (PVA) has helped thousands of young women andmen earn high school diplomas and prepare for college. This unique San Antoniocharter school continues to specifically and intentionally meet the varyingeducational and emotional needs of teens on the verge of permanently droppingout of school. Powerful, life-changing education is happening here.

Por Vida Academy--when education matters

When motivated teens realize education matters, Por Vida Academy teachers and staff can create a flexible combination of courses to earn a high school diploma and in preparation for college.As a middle school student, Elizabeth Idar experienced some family and emotional concerns which led to an interruption in her school attendance. After more than a year’s absence, she realized a high school diploma would be a necessary step towards any aspirations she had for her future. Idar began searching for a way to earn that diploma.Idar found that because she dropped out at the middle school level, no district school in San Antonio was willing to work with her—but Por Vida Academy was. “I am so grateful to have found Por Vida Academy,” Idar states. “They allowed me to catch up on my courses and to complete all the classwork necessary to graduate.” In fact, Idar was the Valedictorian of her 2015 class.Interested in continuing her education, Idar enrolled at Palo Alto College and received her Associate’s degree in Applied Sciences from the Cosmetology program. "When the college guidance counselor mentioned the cosmetology program, I tried a few courses," Idar says. “I realized I liked working in beauty services, and was interested in a career in this field." Idar is currently working as a stylist at Super Cuts while continuing to advance her professional experience.While Idar was in school and now on the job, her daughter Isabella has been cared for by the staff at the Child Development Center on the Blessed Sacrament Academy campus.Over the past 23 years, Por Vida Academy Charter High School (PVA) has helped several thousand teens earn a high school diploma and prepare for college. This unique San Antonio charter school located on the campus of Blessed Sacrament Academy specifically and intentionally meets the varying educational and emotional needs of teens on the verge of permanently dropping out of school.For more information about Por Vida Academy Charter High School call Principal Loren Franckowiak  +1 (210) 775-1132

Por Vida Academy rolling in a new school year

Por Vida Academy Charter High School is currently enrolling for the 2014-15 school year. Registration will take place from 9:00am-3:00pm, August 18th through 23rd. Por Vida looks forward to welcoming close to 200 students on the first day of school Monday, August 25th.Por Vida offers three types of diplomas for students seeking an alternative to public schools.• Traditional diploma• Credit recovery (with no age limit)• GED classes (Por Vida is also an official GED Testing Center) Por Vida teachers are participating in the Educator Effectiveness Process (EEP) again this year. EEP is a program of the Youth Empowerment Services, Inc. (YES), a San Antonio-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to “help ensure that young people, through education, can grow up ‘self-sufficient’ without a dependency on the ‘system’ ."In 2010, YES, Inc. was awarded the Teacher Incentive Fund grant to work with ten charter schools in San Antonio, including Por Vida Academy Charter High School, to help improve educator effectiveness towards the goal of increased student achievement. The EEP offers a comprehensive strategy for improving the performance of educators. The EEP performance-based compensation system defines a differentiated way to provide incentives/bonuses to individual principals and teachers, based on their level of effectiveness.“Quality teachers are the critical factor in determining students’ achievements in the classroom,” stated Joseph Rendon, Por Vida Principal. “Being a part of the EEP helps us recruit, motivate and retain effective teachers and administration/staff leading to positive gains for our students’ academic achievements and improved professional development opportunities.”