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32 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com COMMUNITY SCHOOL PLEDGE "Standing in this room are the greatest, most committed, most responsible people this world has ever known. If it is to be, it is up to me. Yes I can. Yes I will. Yes we can. Yes we will. I am, we are, the greatest, the greatest, the GREATEST!" B Built on a foundation of the three pillars of success, Academy Prep Center is achieving unprecedented results by breaking the cycle of generational poverty for middle-school aged youth living in the Tampa Bay area. e private non-denominational school, with locations in the Midtown area of St. Petersburg and in Ybor City, has changed the lives of 204 graduates and their families since opening its doors. Academy Prep Center encourages students to follow high moral standards, adheres to a rigorous 11-month college preparatory curriculum, and offers global extra-curricular activities like chess, karate and tennis. Students and families also receive ongoing support through individualized social programs during the eight years – high school and college – following graduation. Academy Prep Centers was founded by Jeff and Joan Fortune, who sold the TradeWinds Island Resort on St. Pete Beach to the employees in 1995. e Fortunes, with the help of retired educators Bob and Barbara Anders, developed and created a sustaining , long- term solution with innovative programs to help students in at-risk neighborhoods become future community leaders. It's a successful educational model that school administrators hope to eventually expand to other neighborhoods, both regionally and nationally. It's an endeavor that costs $16,000 per student each year, funded almost entirely by donations, community advocates and volunteers. e tuition covers the cost of college preparatory academics, extra curriculars, and eight years of graduate support once students leave the campus. Students also spend more time in the classroom, a total of 936 hours per academic year, 43% more than their public school peers. e selection process targets incoming fih and sixth grade students who live below the poverty level. e school upholds high expectations built around a strict schedule which includes aending classes six days a week, 11 hours a day, 11 months a year. Each school day starts with breakfast at 7 a.m. followed by morning convocation that includes prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, personal intentions, and the Word of the Day.