Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, and so did Dr. Diane Pollard. For nearly two decades, she has worked tirelessly to make her dream come true–and it has!
Magnovo salutes Dr. Pollard and the Rainbow Dreams Academy. She and her team of devoted educators are transforming the lives of hundreds of low-income, at-risk children in the historic district on the West Side for Las Vegas.
A dream come true
She and her husband, Anthony, a medical physician, had thriving careers and the respect of their contemporaries. But they are both visionaries and civic activists so personal fulfillment was not their end game. Their hearts’ desire was to build an enduring legacy by helping at-risk youth in their community.
So in 2007, after years of planning and strategizing, they opened the Academy, a K-8 public elementary charter school which receives federal funds via the Title I program.
According to Pollard, “The school’s mission is to educate and prepare our students to challenge their intellect, maximize their talents, respect themselves and others, and take pride in their heritage in a nurturing, learning community.”
Full STEAM ahead
The student body consists of more than 300 pupils. The curriculum includes Mathematics, science, English language arts, African American history, computer technology, reading, social studies, fine arts, performing arts, and Spanish. And each class is taught in the context of multicultural inclusion.
In the future, they plan to offer a pre-K program and plans are already in the works for a new middle school building to house their STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics] Program.
With a state-of-the-art multimedia library, bright modern classrooms, a science atrium, and a learning garden, the Rainbow Dreams Academy is a cultural, social, and educational oasis in the Las Vegas desert!
On-going challenges
In addition to Title I funding, the Rainbow Dreams Academy benefits from the support of the 100 Black Men of Las Vegas and other civic-minded organizations. And the staff encourage full buy-in among parents so that their childrens’ education is a partnership that requires their input as well.
What the gold at the end of the rainbow looks like
During a recent Rescue Buddies Stuffed Animal Charitable Team Building Workshop, Dr. Pollard was overcome with gratitude for Magnovo’s donation of 50 Rescue Buddies to the Academy. And she shared one of their success stories, which was emotionally overwhelming to all of the workshop participants.
She described two troubled brothers who were banned from school for a year. Their attitudes and behavior changed dramatically when they came back. Indeed, one of them is now an outstanding and upstanding young man.
Online, the parent of another boy declared, “My son went to kinder here and he’s starting first grade here this year….We both love the school and the staff. Everyone is nice and sweet. My son loves his teacher…She’s great with the kids! Thumbs up!”
From another parent, “This is absolutely an amazing school. I would recommend this school to anyone that is looking for a great diverse school for their child to attend.”
And from a student, “I actually attend Rainbow and it’s AMAZING!! We all trust each other, and since it’s not that big of a school, we all know each other… We believe that no matter what, teamwork makes the dream work!!”
One of Dr. Pollard’s greatest motivators is shared by Magnovo CEO Rob Jackson. It’s a quote by Dr. Maya Angelou: I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. The spirit of this quote frames everything that both Pollard and Jackson do in service to their communities.