Nakisha Hobbs is the Principal and Co-Founder of Village Leadership Academy (VLA), an independent elementary school where the primary focus is to transform urban youth into global leaders.
A Chicago native and fourth generation educator, Nakisha began her journey in community activism as an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In response to the negative impact of high-stakes testing, Nakisha mobilized a group of peers to develop an African-centered tutoring program designed to empower marginalized youth.
Nakisha continued her passion to address inequities in education by co-founding It Takes A Village Early Learning Centers in 2004 and VLA in 2007. This pipeline educational system, which is currently birth through eighth grade, serves over 700 students and redefines the purpose of urban education.
Innovative components of the school include a practical approach to leadership development; a spiraling world studies and social justice curriculum; and access to global travel through the World Scholars Program.
Meet The BlackDoctor.org 2015 “Champions of Change” was originally published on blackdoctor.org
