Society calls them “at risk” youth, but the See Forever Foundation prefers to focus on their untapped potential. These teenagers seem full of bravado, but most admit having lost confidence in themselves. They have not succeeded in traditional school settings. Their lives are full of gaps. Many have been involved in the juvenile justice system.

The Maya Angelou Public Charter School, run by the See Forever Foundation, is focused on filling those gaps and tapping that potential. The school strives to create a culture and a community that competes with the lure of the streets. Through a rigorous program that combines academics with communication, life skills, and a focus on individual needs, the staff at the school is helping each student develop personal values and goals that will lead them in a positive direction.
“Most of our students arrive feeling angry and beaten,” says James Forman, co-founder of the Maya Angelou School. “We try to provide a safe place for them to explore and grow and really challenge themselves. Like the poet for whom the school was named, we want our students to learn how to overcome their problems so they can say, ‘still I rise’.”

Learning to rise above life’s challenges was an important accomplishment for Felecia Green, a 2002 graduate. At her graduation, she told her classmates, “I have gone through good times and bad times here. But it has been real. I have gone from being a young girl straight out of the streets of New York to a young woman. Now it's time for me to leave and start on a new chapter of my life. And even though I am glad to get out and claim my independence, I will truly miss you. Thank you for being my foundation, Maya Angelou.”

See Forever website