The Learning Choice Academy Receives $10,000 Grant

Three teachers at The Learning Choice Academy (TLC) in Chula Vista, California, have won a $10,000 grant award from the Voya Unsung Heroes program. 

As the second-place winners, TLC Academy teachers Kacie Desmond, Travis Nixon, and Jason Foyer received the $10,000 award in a surprise check presentation in addition to $2,000 they received as one of the 50 national finalists — bringing their total financial award to $12,000. This money will be used to help bring the “Tiny Home Project” to life at The Learning Choice Academy. 
  
The team's innovative career technical education (CTE) teaching program, the "Tiny Home Project," provides high school students with a hands-on learning experience to develop career skills in areas such as design, construction, engineering and business. The project will also help students nurture a connection with their community by understanding public policy needs such as affordable housing and sustainability. In building a tiny modular home, students will collaborate with each other and industry professionals, and upon completion, they will sell the house, which gives them a chance to practice their skills in sales and marketing. Profits from the sale will be used to support the following year's “Tiny Home Project" class. 
 
“Congratulations to our exemplary teachers and staff who led the 'Tiny Home Project,'” said Debi Gooding, executive director of The Learning Choice Academy. “The project is a vehicle to give students the holistic set of skills they need to succeed in today’s world and contribute to the larger community. We are grateful to have teachers and staff such as Kacie, Travis, and Jason, who are dedicated to making this innovative project come to life. And we thank Voya for helping The Learning Choice Academy expand our impact.” 
 
To learn more about this year’s winning projects, as well as those from previous years, visit Voya’s Unsung Heroes webpage. Applications for the 2024 Voya Unsung Heroes awards are currently being accepted through the website until April 19, 2024.