Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Washington.
Danielle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been an educator for the past 15 years and have taught middle school English Language Arts, as well as being an assistant principal and school principal. I’ve always served in some type of mentorship capacity in working with pre-teen and teen girls outside the classroom, from being a cheerleading coach to just spending extra time after school and weekends with girls who needed it. Queen Academy started officially in 2014 as an after-school mentoring group to support my female students with the transition to high school. When I became a born-again Christian in 2014, the Lord impressed upon my heart to shift the focus of Queen Academy to equip young women with the tools they needed to have a strong relationship with Him because that would set them up for success in every area of their lives. I continued to facilitate the program at schools I worked at and churches I attended over the years. When I became a licensed foster parent in 2020, I saw the need for girls and teens in the system who had experienced deep trauma to be equipped with the tools they needed to thrive spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, and academically. At that point, I refined our focus to providing Christian mentoring to girls and teens in foster care and alternative schools. We have recently become incorporated and obtained 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2022, and are excited about serving more young women in our programs!
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?
There have definitely been some challenges and obstacles along the way, especially as it relates to navigating the foster care system. Currently, I am licensed in both Georgia and South Carolina, but the process took a very long time. I began the process of becoming licensed in Georgia in 2018 and didn’t begin receiving placements until 2020. It took nearly 2 years to get through the process! There are so many hurdles that prospective foster parents have to jump over just to be licensed, and I experienced just how broken the system really is. It was discouraging, but I just continued to pray and remain patient with the process. And of course, anytime you work with children and teens with trauma, you automatically have to have a level of patience and understanding to be able to give them the support they need. With both mentoring young women and being a foster parent, one key lesson I have learned is not to take it personally when the young people I am working with are acting out or exhibiting challenging behaviors. Patience and prayer is definitely key!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Queen Academy is a faith-based non-profit organization designed to support and empower young women in Georgia’s foster care system and alternative education settings through Christian mentoring and discipleship. Our programs focus on promoting Biblical principles, positive self-worth and development, as well as providing practical life skills instruction, academic enrichment, career exploration, entrepreneurship, and community service.
Specifically, we operate two programs: the Queen Academy Mentoring Program and the Queen Academy Residential Program. The mentoring program is a comprehensive, Bible-based youth development program for girls between the ages of 11-17 in alternative school settings that aims to instill and promote Christian principles, positive self-worth, and positive growth of adolescent young women through a focus on our REGAL core values and customized curriculum.
The Queen Academy Residential Program operates as a traditional foster home. Both of our programs aim to increase school attendance, increase academic performance, and decrease behavior incidents resulting in suspensions for program participants. Our goal is for participants in our mentoring program to be readmitted to their home school programs as appropriate and residential participants to be reunited with their families.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Absolutely! One of the most important personal lessons I learned from COVID was that this life is temporal, and the things we are taught to lean on can go away in an instant. When we have a life built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word, the crises and storms of life that arise don’t shake us or disturb our peace because everything we need is truly found in Him. This is the message I look to model to the young women in our programs who have experienced so much trauma and rejection in their lives. No matter what we go through, when we are deeply and intimately connected to God, we can know that no matter what happens, He will indeed work all things together for our good.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.QueenAcademy.org
- Instagram: @QueenAcademyMentoring
- Facebook: @QueenAcademyMentoring
Image Credits
Edith Greenwood, Greenwood Photography
