Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kimberly Blackwell. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Our journey started in January 2019 in the home of Founder Dr. Kimberly Blackwell with a group of seven women who came together to share their hopes and dreams of ways to help underserved youth reach beyond their own potential and achieve academic and personal excellence. The group developed a shared mission to provide culturally responsive educational opportunities that interrupt patterns which have historically created opportunity gaps for minority am other underserved populations. This endeavor proved to be a two- and half-year journey of meetings, discussions, closed doors, and a pandemic before finally becoming a reality. Through perseverance, commitment, and the selflessness of numerous helpers along the way, the Rise Academy of Innovative Learning Summer Program will launch in the summer of 2022.
What makes you unique?
I am also a writer who is working on my first novel and hope to publish the book spring 2022 through my separate business iaMOSH, LLC which is an acronym for I Am My Own Super Hero.
Through this venture, I aim to publish both fiction and spiritual/inspirational books as well as performing arts pieces.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
None of the women in the group have run a business, we know children and we know education so we had to lean on knowledgeable others which also added to the timeline. We were blessed to be able to meet with a small business consultant and hire someone to build our website. We hoped to launch in 2020 but the pandemic made us change our plans for launching not once but twice. We also lost one of our founding members as family obligations took her away from the work. We also searched for a facility and realized we were going to be unable to afford a site, but then were gifted a two-year contract with a local church.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have been in education for the past 15 years. I have served as a classroom teacher, campus administrator, and am now an instructor in higher education. I earned my doctorate degree and focused on the academic gap between minority children and their white peers. My research aligned with my philosophy that educational gaps experienced by minority children can be addressed by thinking outside of the box and providing instructional activities that these scholars can relate to. This means we move beyond surface-level ways of interacting with our scholars. RAIL will be different because we will have a curriculum like no other. Our focus will be on uniqueness, individualism, and creating new narratives. Our scholars will boldly make an impact on society because of how we will equip them.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that Dallas is diverse and it has just enough southern charm with hints of big city living. I don’t love that our city is just now on the brink of making sure all shades of brown people have a seat at the table when it comes to entrepreneurship. We have too few minority-owned businesses for a city as old as Dallas. But I’m glad I see change on near horizon.
Contact Info:
- Email: scholarsofrail@gmail.com
- Website: railscholars.org
Image Credits:
T Took’Em Photography
Eli Smith
