A Black-founded school seeking to nourish young girls will soon open its doors in Nebraska.
Identity Preparatory Academy
Identity Preparatory Academy is Nebraska’s first state-approved Black-founded school, according to KETV Channel 7. The all-girls academy will welcome fourth-eighth graders; uphold the pillars of community, culture, and relationships; and ensure learners receive rigorous education.
“We are a forthcoming middle school for girls that is engaging with future scholars and families as we build the school our girls deserve together. The school will serve 4th-8th grade girls in the North Omaha community in small classes, utilizing liberatory practices and an abolitionist education framework. It is time for our girls’ school experience to exemplify their brilliance, joy, and positive identity consciousness,” a statement on the academy’s website reads.
Community-Driven Curriculum
The academy is a collaborative effort. Under an initiative called Dreams of Our Daughters, parents and daughters of the community were invited to share their perspectives and insights to inform the curriculum.
“They talked about what kind of education that would be nourishing for them would look like. And then we built it out,” DerNecia Phillips, Identity Preparatory Academy’s founder and CEO said, according to KETV.
“We want high-quality education and academic excellence at the forefront,” Phillips added. “The way that we’re getting there and the track that we’re laying is that it needs to be culturally fortified. Our girls need to see people that look like them and leadership that looks like them.”
A fifth-grader, Savannah, was among the decision-makers behind the school’s programming.
“I just said I wanted to have school sports and stuff because I like to play basketball and flag football. My mom said she thinks kids should learn how to cook,” Savannah expressed, per KETV.
The all-girls environment was also a plus for her.
“You won’t get judged and stuff by the way I look or how you act and stuff by kids, you can just be you,” she said.
School Opening in Fall 2026
The school is projected to launch in fall 2026. There is currently a waitlist for fourth- and fifth-grade students, according to information on the academy’s Facebook page.
