"Greatness is defined by the number of people one serves."

The Academy of Greatness is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity

Dear Friends,

It's time.

The news is filled on a daily basis with stories about the failure of our educational system.

• Millions of children are being left behind or passed along with deficient skills.
• Some of the best teachers are resigning.
• Despite brave efforts by some, bullying continues to grow unabated; many teachers and most administrators turn a blind eye or are simply ignorant of the nature of the problem.
• Individual differences are ignored.
• "No-tolerance" has become "No common sense."
• Standardized tests reign supreme.
• Children drop out of school, or graduate totally unaware of their potential; they have spent 12 years in the education system being told, "No, you can't; how dare you; you're not good enough; who do you think you are."

In 2009, it became clear to me that a difference had to be made in the world of education; the Academy of Greatness is the outcome.

We've been preparing since then, and it's time to call upon you, my friends and fellow Compassionate Samurai, for help.

Some things we will not do:

• We will not accept government money, because it comes attached to too many government requirements.
• We will not try to inject our ideas into existing school systems, because each one is run like a small fiefdom: "We don't do things that way." "We'll look at your ideas and get back to you." "We see no need to change."

 

 

 

 

 

 

This school needs to be built from the ground up, with administrators, faculty and staff all on the same page, all dedicated to the same principles and goals, the ones you will find so familiar: courage, honesty, contribution, commitment, trust, knowledge, honor, personal responsibility, abundance, and focus.

This will be a place where safety is paramount - where every student will always feel safe, free to learn and grow to his or her maximum social and intellectual potential. It will be a place of absolute excellence, where faculty and student body form a single team dedicated to getting everyone over the wall and across the finish line.

And it's going to take significant funds to get it up and running.

The Academy is registered in Utah as a non-profit corporation (although we're thinking our campus will be somewhere in the East.) In August of 2012, we asked the IRS for a tax-exempt determination. Being the IRS, they're about a year behind on processing applications... but we must move forward now; there's too much to be done.

So we're asking you for help to get us off the ground. In 2009, I pitched this idea to a group of young people at a teen leadership camp. They thought the idea of a school where children could live daily in the same environment that they had experienced for a week was an idea worth pursuing. Two of them came forward and contributed $20.00 each; little did they realize that their simple gesture turned something intangible into something real, and when we have a home, their names will grace our administration building.

I know your hearts, and have seen what can be done when the reason is right.

Please help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We'd like to raise $250,000 now, which will let us operate for a year and accomplish the following goals, each of which can only be done with funding:

• Hire an attorney and an accountant to ensure that our school is a model of ethical operation.
• Engage a consultant to help refine our business plan in order to attract substantial donors.
• Begin the search for a suitable campus.
• Contract with a website developer to improve on our internet presence.
• Design and print of initial promotional and fundraising materials.
• Design the specialized curriculum
• Begin interfacing with educational consultants

Naturally you have one question: "Will my contributions be tax-deductible?" The answer: "Absolutely, effective August 20, 2012."

Please help. If 5,000 compassionate leaders were to contribute $50 each, we would exceed our goal with ease. Once the IRS is on board, we can offer the additional tax benefits that will attract the $30 million we estimate will be necessary to ensure full-blown operation and long-term continuation of this enterprise.

There are experimental schools and charter schools and magnet schools galore out there - but none has ever been designed with the intent to create capable young leaders who will, in the words of R. Buckminster Fuller, "make the world work, for 100% of humanity, in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.”

 

 

 

 

 

The project is daunting, but it deserves to happen, and it will happen. In the words of Barry B. Longyear, "There is no force as powerful as a promise that insists on being kept."

To contribute, please go to this page and click the "Donate" button. There are thousands of world-builders out there who exist in your circles of influence; please consider passing this information on to them. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. And thank you.

Christopher C. DeSantis
Chairman/CEO