New Appleton charter school focused on African culture and history opens next fall

This story has been updated to more accurately reflect that the Appleton Area School District has 14 charter schools and one magnet school.

APPLETON — Next fall, the Appleton Area School District is getting a new charter school: The Ọmọladé Academy. The school will incorporate African and Black history and culture into its everyday instruction, the first school of its kind in the area.

The Ọmọladé Academy will be run by African Heritage Inc., an Appleton-based nonprofit that works to advance the well-being of African Americans and people of color. The school's name translates to "Child of the Crown" in the Yoruba language, which is primarily spoken in southwestern Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo.

New charter school wants to close achievement gaps and teach students to think 'glocally'

The school will serve grades kindergarten through three and be open to all children. Its goal is to celebrate the cultural heritage of African descendants through science, technology, reading, engineering, entrepreneurship, arts and math, according to Bola Delano. She is a co-founder of African Heritage Inc. and a professor of education at St. Norbert College.

"It's important for our own regional area because it provides a more inclusive and comprehensive, culturally relevant education for all our students," she said.

By infusing Black history and culture into daily instruction, it won't just be taught during Black History Month in February.

"When you think about Black history, it's American history. It's also part of our multicultural history," Delano said.

Whether it's who they read about, the art projects they do or the type of music they play in band and orchestra, students will be exposed to a lot more African culture, according to Appleton Area School District Superintendent Greg Hartjes.

More: Last year, no Appleton public school failed to meet educational expectations. This year, two did.

Delano, who has a doctorate in education theory and development, wants students to have both a global and local perspective in what she refers to as thinking "glocally."

"Students will gain a broader understanding of communities but also gain a broader understanding of a diverse and global world," she said.

Another key focus of The Ọmọladé Academy is to close achievement gaps in test scores between different student groups.

"We believe every child that walks through our doors is gifted and talented," Delano said. "We're going to use that curriculum to help to cultivate the talent and the gifts that they have."

The Ọmọladé Academy will be Appleton's 14th charter school

The Appleton Area School District is no stranger to charter schools with 13 already operating in the district. It has the second highest number of charter schools in the state, behind only Milwaukee Public Schools.

The Ọmọladé Academy will be the district's first new charter school in a decade, Hartjes said.

"We feel we have great neighborhood elementary schools, but we also have a lot of really successful charter schools in our district, and this has one more option for our families," he said.

Charter schools are public schools created through a businesslike contract, or charter, between a public school board and the operator of the school. Charter schools have more flexibility and autonomy in their instructional methods and school structure.

More: Here's what charter schools are and how they work in Wisconsin

Many decisions will need to be made in the next nine months

African Heritage Inc. has been planning to open the school for over a year and finalized the partnership with the Appleton Area School District on Nov. 27. There are about nine months before the school will open, meaning a quick timeline for securing a location, hiring staff and enrolling students.

Hartjes said the district typically has 16 months to get a charter school up and running, so The Ọmọladé Academy is on "a very tight timeline."

The school will be funded through a $1.7 million five-year federal grant from the Department of Education. The school district will work alongside African Heritage Inc. to pick a location for the school and provide staffing.

The school will have to get furniture, train staff and finish writing the curriculum, all before September 2024.

How to enroll in The Ọmọladé Academy

Enrollment opens Dec. 1 for The Ọmọladé Academy; families can apply on the Appleton Area School District website at www.aasd.k12.wi.us/our_schools.

Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Appleton charter school focused on African culture and history opens next fall