The children of Lawrence, Massachusetts are in an education crisis. Only 41 percent of pupils finish high school and local teenage girls are statistically more likely to get pregnant than to finish their secondary education.
Esperanza Academy is a new church-initiated school in the town that aims to reverse this catastrophe. It recruits by lottery, allowing any poor girl to apply, and requires families to be directly engaged in service to both the school and to the girls' experiences there. The three meals that the girls eat during their 11-hour day are all prepared by parent volunteers.
Head of school Laurie Bottiger explains her belief that for women to be successful they need competence, confidence and connectedness. Her promise to the girls is that they will go on from Esperanza, not just to high school, but to college.
