A new program is on the horizon for kids at Cambridge Elementary School: This year, Aspiration Academy — an initiative launched by Bob Barnes, founder of The Children’s Hunger Project — will offer once-a-month weekend hands-on learning for first and second graders.
Next year, it will kick off as an afterschool program for third graders at the elementary school in Cocoa, with the goal of increasing their reading and math skills through real-life experiences.
“After all is said and done, no matter what our altruistic goals are, no matter what the problems are, no matter what solutions we have, the ultimate goal is to enhance greatly the reading ability of marginalized students in this county,” said Barnes, who founded Aspiration Academy in Melbourne in 2023.
The program is headed by Barnes and board members Bernard and Thelma Bryan, Debbie Lyons, Samuel Jordan and Comrade Martinez.
What’s the goal?
Barnes has always wanted to help children in two ways: by feeding them, and giving them a chance to learn.
Aspiration Academy touches on that second goal by providing kids with hands-on experiences, often with help from experts in certain topics like equine therapy, veterans’ issues, space exploration and more. Barnes and other members of the program’s board hope these experiences will encourage the children to pick up a book and read more about the topics.
An example? Show kids how to plant vegetables in a garden, with help from Univeristy of Florida urban horticulture agent Sally Scalera.
“The method to our madness is to teach children about gardening, but to use that as a hook … to our ultimate goal, which is to enhance their reading ability,” Barnes said.
The program will also work to improve students’ math skills.
How did the program come about?
Aspiration Academy isn’t new. It started in January 2023 at University Park Elementary School in Melbourne, where third-grade students got to enjoy a variety of activities through the afterschool program.
A group of about 10 third-graders at the school was able to learn about numerous topics and try their hand at coding, examine one of Melbourne’s fire trucks and learn about how horses help disabled kids in Brevard.
And the experiences made a notable change in their learning. The students’ teachers and Principal Ana Diaz noted that they not only got learning experiences they otherwise wouldn’t have, but their behavior reflected that they felt a new sense of belonging.
For Barnes, it quickly became apparent that this was something they could implement at other schools.
“We realized that not only would that after-school program be successful, but it can be broadened to the entire elementary school population in all schools in Brevard County,” Barnes said.
The program, mainly funded by private donors, was years in the making and involved collaboration with community members — something that will continue at the new location.
When will it start in Cocoa?
Starting this school year, Aspiration Academy will hold a once-a-month Saturday session for first and second graders. They’ll be provided with snacks and drinks as they learn through a curriculum developed by the program’s board and approved by Cambridge Elementary’s principal Gina Tagye. The first session is scheduled for Sept. 17.
During the 2025-2026 school year, Aspiration Academy will fully kick off as an afterschool program during the week. During its first year, it will be offered for kids in third grade. The following year, third and fourth graders will be eligible to be part of the program.
The program is free.
While it is currently only available at Cambridge, board members hope the program can expand throughout the district.
“We call this a beta test to see whether the processes works, and the idea works,” board member Bernard Bryan said.
Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Reading, math skills of Cocoa kids are the focus at Aspiration Academy