Children spend large amounts of their crucial development years in schools that are structured for children who can sit through lessons for hours at a time. Sometimes, not considering the challenges this may be for some students. Schools are structured in a way that may not understand the needs of the child and the why behind poor performance proposing solutions that do not address the root cause.

Depending on the location of some schools, the focus is on compliance rather than outcome. In some schools, teachers are not empowered. Their input is more than often not taken into consideration, and the opportunity to use their valuable insight to create the environment necessary for transformational outcomes is overlooked. In some schools, innovative teachers may be persuaded to stick to the script rather than implement outside-of-the-box solutions. I get it! It is “safer” to stay in the familiar than risk what’s on the other side of the unknown.

We all know progress is never a straight line and having that expectation enables unjustified feelings of failure for the teacher AND student, as I believe that success is often a result of resilience and tenacity of continued effort. So, how are we creating environments that encourage resilience in our children?

Comparing children to other children sets unrealistic expectations as we have to create environments where everyone can thrive individually and collectively. With the advancements of today’s technology, I am surprised we don’t use more diagnostic software to inform instruction rather than overly used standardized tests. We become what we celebrate, and if the child doesn’t have opportunities to celebrate their gains then what is the point of even trying? Diagnostic assessments allow children to compare themselves to themselves and motivate them to become the best version of THEMselves.

Just like our body has different organs that fulfill different functions/purposes, I believe people are created with unique gifts and talents that fit their mission in this life and together we can help them identify these unique gifts and help foster them. What are we doing in our current educational system to recognize and highlight the strengths of our children?

As I always say, complex problems require complex solutions and creating safe places for dialogue is the only way for our generation to be able to improve the educational experience for those who come behind us. So let’s get talking!

My name is Cristina Benavides and I am an educator and founder of Cristina’s Academy. Cristina’s Academy was the solution to the growing academic crisis during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of my former students were regressing, and their parents sought me out for tutoring and advice. The word spread quickly, and I found myself overwhelmed with demand. However, one particular student changed my life and was the reason to go through the headache of starting a charity: a 9-year-old child who tragically witnessed the murder of his mother by his father. His reading was at a kindergarten level. I had the privilege of tutoring him, and in 3 months, he was reading! This unlocked a sense of confidence. Even his behavior improved in school because he was no longer embarrassed to read aloud. During our tutoring sessions, I realized that he was a little engineering genius! I became the child’s educational advocate and helped his family members receive the educational services he deserved so that he could work on the areas he was weak in. I also encouraged the family to help him develop his giftedness with Legos. The darkest moment of this family’s life inspired me to be a light not only to him but to the many children out there who need a hero.

Cristina’s Academy has now evolved. Our U-Matter School initiative seeks to create partnerships with schools in economically challenged communities. Together with other local nonprofit organizations, we create high-impact solutions to ensure not only their academic success but also to create systems to ensure their sustainability. Our strategy is to unite, restore, and empower.Pine Villa Elementary is the first school we partnered with in 2022. In one year, Cristina’s Academy coordinated efforts among many different local organizations to use “their superpower” to address the needs of the students and their families. To give you an idea, one nonprofit organization installed a community fridge at the school to address the problem of food insecurity. Many organizations donated school supplies and backpacks, while others offered their volunteers and funding for beautification efforts. Still, other organizations brought smiles using the power of music to our events.

“A kingdom divided against itself cannot prosper.” This is the reason for community events; they are an opportunity to spread a message of unity, not of uniformity. They become opportunities to awaken the dormant hero and inspire them to become Agents of Change. Not necessarily Cristina’s Academy as an identity, but a concept: a person who uses their unique gifts and talents to make the world a better place.

These local heroes understand the needs of the people, so our goal at Cristina’s Academy is to empower them to pursue these “Hero Projects” within their community. This was the birth of our co-ed basketball and football teams at Pine Villa Elementary, thanks to parent volunteers and school support staff. The community came together to enjoy their first “Let’s Play Tournament.” Slowly but surely, the popularity of OUR community events grew, from an average of 80 people to over 400 people showing up at our Winter Wonderland Community event in December 2023.

In 2012, I was pursuing a career in human resources, when I was diagnosed with partial complex seizures. The medication had negative effects on my cognitive ability and I had to be admitted to the disability program at my university for that semester. It was a very dark moment in my life. Learning always came easy to me, therefore having this experience,  softened my heart towards children and adults with different abilities. It made me reconsider my career choice and look for something that would bring purpose to my life. That is when I decided to pivot, from seeking alternative methods to control my seizures, to quitting my job, changing careers, to having another baby! Sometimes tragedy hits you, to bump you into your mission, because without it, you would stay in your comfort zone and miss out on the beauties of purpose-filled life.

Cristina’s Academy was meant to be the solution to a growing academic problem during COVID-19. Even though I had some business and management background, my forte was teaching. Therefore, when the popularity of the free tutoring service caught the attention of some news stations, we went from a small organization with 4 volunteers to over 50 tutors at one time.  Managing such large numbers of volunteers took a toll on my health. I didn’t expect such growth and didn’t have the infrastructure to sustain it. My body developed a hormonal imbalance, and I started experiencing constant body aches that limited my ability to effectively lead all the tutors until it all collapsed. Coincidentally, I found out many of our volunteers were also experiencing burnout. I felt like I failed those I wanted to serve, not only my students but also my volunteers. But here comes the best part. Like the saying goes, “In the darkest of moments is when you see the brightest stars.” That is when the hero among our volunteers was awakened. Under the leadership of Victoria Ceballos, our Agents of Change program developed an Executive Board. Through this Executive Board, different roles and tasks of maintaining Cristina’s Academy were divided. I no longer became the sole source of decisions. We distributed authority among the different teams and empowered future leaders.

Our organization is now organized like a ripple in the water, each circle of influence getting bigger and bigger increasing our impact without the burn out. We now follow an agile philosophy allowing us the ability to  adapt to the future challenges we face. Solution driven ALWAYS!