URBANA SCHOOL DISTRICT TIGER ACADEMY
Joseph Wiemelt
Executive Director of Secondary Multilingual & Alternative Programs
jwiemelt@usd116.org
QUICK LINKS
Alternative Education and
Freedom Schools® Programs
Alternative Education
The USD #116 Alternative Education Day Time Program, housed at Tiger Academy, is a part-time hybrid model between in person learning at UMS/UHS, homebound (voluntary or expelled), and/or alternative education for partial days.
- Focus on credit recovery and passing current classes, while also providing a small learning environment for students to succeed academically, behaviorally, and socially/emotionally.
- Individual Alternative Learning Plans will be developed with academic and behavioral goals.
- In order to be accepted, the student must have documented interventions already attempted through a Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for behavior/social/emotional and/or academics
The goal is to provide an individualized learning environment incorporating alternative and restorative practices for credit recovery, passing current classes, and small learning environment for students to be more successful academically, behaviorally, and socially/emotionally.
CURRICULUM
Our day time program utilizes a combination of online learning courses via APEX learning, Google Classrooms from UHS/UMS facilitated by their already scheduled teacher and Tiger Academy staff, and other supplementary curricular materials based on the individual student needs academically, socially, and emotionally.
STAFF
- Teacher: Melissa Lighty – mlighty@usd116.org
- Social Emotional Learning Specialist: Bre’Anna McKenzie – bmckenzie@usd116.org
- Grants & Curriculum Coordinator: Natalee Bretz – nbretz@usd116.org
- Student, Family, & Community Specialist: Lesa Brewer – lbrewer@usd116.org
- Restore U Facilitator: Domesha Nunn – dnunn@usd116.org
- Teaching Assistant: Jay Jay Elvir – joelvir@usd116.org
Freedom Schools®
The After School & Summer Freedom Schools® (FS) Program, housed at Tiger Academy, is a 8th-12th grade program that focuses on teaching and fostering black excellence, culturally responsive social/emotional learning, restorative practices/conflict resolution, financial literacy, and civic engagement through service learning projects in the community. The program focuses on recruiting UHS and UMS students, particularly African American and other students of color, to participate in the program. Our goal is to work with a maximum of 50 students from both the middle and high schools. Freedom Schools runs from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Students are provided a light meal every evening.
Freedom Schools® partners with community agencies to provide support groups related to social/emotional learning. Additionally, students are eligible to receive financial stipends based on successful participation in programming requirements, service learning grades, and behavior. The goal of the FS Program is to foster a culturally relevant and engaging after school program that improves students’ academic, social/emotional and behavioral outcomes. The Program is housed in the Tiger Academy, also known as Alternative Education Building at 303 Fairlawn Dr., across the street from Urbana Middle School.
STAFF:
- Coordinator: Domesha Nunn – dnunn@usd116.org
- Instructor: Bishop Lawton – blawton@usd116.org
- Support Staff:
- Shari Caston – scaston@usd116.org
- April Thomas – arthomas@usd116.org
- Aqueena Lillard – alillard@usd116.org
- Jay Jay Elvir – joelvir@usd116.org
- Michael Smith – msmith@usd116.org
- Student, Family, & Community Specialist: Lesa Brewer – lbrewer@usd116.org
- Social Emotional Learning Specialist: Bre’Anna McKenzie – bmckenzie@usd116.org
Community Partners
We are grateful for the community partners that work with our students and staff. If you are interested in establishing a partnership with our Tiger Academy Alternative Program or Freedom Schools Program to either work directly with our students or to provide service learning projects for our students, please contact Lesa Brewer at lbrewer@usd116.org.
- City of Urbana
- Champaign Urbana Trauma & Resiliency Initiative
- Youth & Family Peer Support Alliance
- Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center
- Urbana Park District
- Reconstruction.US
- Prairie Winds of Urbana
- Several other community organizations and businesses
