An Academy of Collaboration: Confluence and LAMP

                  In the words of Richard Bach, “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.” Often times in inter-human relationships, we refer to our friends, coworkers, and other influential individuals that surround us as family, when in reality the only thing we share with them is a common experience. This common experience that we share is unifying because it combines like with like; people and a career, supplies, motivation, passion, and results. This ideal of a unifying common experience is exemplified in all places and aspects of life, and is found especially at the South City Campus of Confluence Academy in St. Louis. The academy, which is part of a larger charter network sponsored by University of Missouri Columbia, prides itself on its familial manner of self-governing, and makes this warm atmosphere known to all students and parents who often grace the campus with their presence. The South City Branch of Confluence Academy is also known for the wide range of diversity it caters to in its student body, and therefore prides itself on staffing individuals who are culturally aware and competent, as well as passionate about working in the academic field. This fact, alongside many others, drove LAMP to reach out to Confluence Academy, in an effort of non-profit collaboration, to ensure that one of St. Louis’ most diversely accommodating educational institutions received not only the donations it deserves but also the acclaim for never turning away a single student.

Jannelly Villegas and Loisa Valencia

                One of Confluence Academy’s strongest appeals is the diversity present in its student body, which is made up of circa 900-1,000 school children aged from 6-14, in grades of Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Of those 900-1,000 students registered for attendance at Confluence for the upcoming school year, an estimated 40% of them are of Hispanic descent or cultural background, and the remaining 60% percent are of Caucasian, African American, or Asian descent, making the academy a thorough cultural examination of all of the diversity present in our community. This appeal of a vast diversity is not the academy’s sole selling point, however, due to the fact of a 100% admission rate for incoming students, as well as an ever-growing high academic retention rate. Confluence academy accepts everybody, regardless of race, income level, religion, or legal status, and takes it upon themselves to educate each and every growing child that crosses their doors. They ensure that the students, as well as the parents, are always aware of what is occurring in the school, and has a wide range of community outreach networks ensure this remains the case. In addition to an all-inclusive approach of student admission, Confluence Academy is also considered a “Bronze School”, which means that the students’ Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) exam scores are not only consistently high, but also are on a consistent record of increase. This shatters the absolute minimum requirement of Academic Yearly Progress (AYP) that is standardized by the state of Missouri. These facts and many others, explain the high level of commitment and passion felt upon entrance to school, and therefore create a highly interactive, familial approach to the school’s administration. This is exemplified by one of the academy’s administrators, Jannelly Villegas, whose mother Loisa Valencia, and younger sister Natalie, also work in the school’s administrative office, and portray the old adage of the apple not falling far from the tree. The three women, who make their passion for changing the lives of Hispanic children in the St. Louis area are also responsible for the academy’s wide influx of Hispanic families, due to extensive outreach and recruiting efforts designed by Villegas, over the course of 14 years. This incredible effort caught the eye of LAMP, who is one of the leading Hispanic advocates in the St. Louis area.

HealthCare USA, LAMP, and MICA Project at
the 2014 Meet the Teacher Night

                Each year, Confluence Academy contracts an estimated 10 interpreters of LAMP’s to aid in quarterly parent teacher conferences at the academy. Although the majority of these interpreters are serving the academy in Spanish, the academy makes it is mission to service all languages present on its campus, ensuring that all students receive equal treatment. This year, the collaborative efforts between LAMP and Confluence Academy remained consistent on the interpretative level, but increased in the aspect of community outreach and social work. This week, LAMP and Confluence Academy collaborated to host a “Meet the Teacher Night" where school supplies and free health and legal service information were provided. This was made possible through the help of other nonprofit partner organizations to honor the outstanding work Confluence Academy does to promote cultural diversity and safety in the South City neighborhood in St. Louis. Thank you to all the organizations who attended.

   

Health Protection & Education Service (HPES) providing
information on free monthly health screenings

LAMP Interpreter Daniel and HealthCare USA Mascot
at Confluence Academy Resource Fair in 2013

*If you are interested in donating/contributing to Confluence Academy School, contact Janelly Villegas at (314) 481-4700. 

Author: Andrea L., Portuguese Interpreter and Intern at LAMP