An inside look at Thrive Academy; a school for kids with autism

Thrive Academy is a first-of-its-kind school for those diagnosed with autism. On Wednesday, the school held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and invited the public inside.

The academy is located in Cape Coral, right off Chiquita Boulevard and south of Veterans Parkway.

Parents tell WINK News that this is a “dream” as the school has tailored curriculum to the kids’ unique needs.

Some students with autism struggle in traditional public school settings. At Thrive Academy, the teaching style is customized to each student, with the goal of future employment and independence.

David Brown and Anjali Van Drie, co-founders of Family Initiative and creators of the private specialty school, say, “This is just the start.” They plan to open more schools.

Family Initiative is a Cape Coral-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting children, adolescents, and young adults impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“We won’t go through the entire list of folks that we want to thank, but there are people not here today that have supported us when this was just a dream, before it was a dream, and have worked every day to make this day possible to have a place for our kids to be safe and loved and learn and thrive, honestly,” Van Drie said on the podium.

Brown has big goals. “We know our families need a lot more. We need to expand access to clinical services. We need more diagnostic access for families. We need supported living for our families, and all of those things will ultimately be housed on this campus. And so our goal is to have a one-stop shop for all the moms and dads,” Brown said.

Over 100 attendees attended the ceremony. Among the attendees were parents of special needs kids, community leaders and members of the community.

A handful of politicians also showed up including Speaker of the House Paul Renner, Senator Jonathan Martin, Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka and Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter.

Persons-Mulicka’s 20-year-old son has autism and is a student at the school. She spoke on the podium about how in a short time, the academy has done so much for her son.

Senator Martin also spoke on the podium and gave thanks to the Family Initiative co-founders.

“They have always and consistently advocated for this project and for the autism community, demonstrating how passion and perseverance can lead to meaningful change. Thrive Academy stands as a shining example of Florida’s commitment to school choice,” Martin said.

Speaker Renner was the keynote speaker and highlighted the importance of educational freedom and personalized education.

When it was time to cut the ribbon, all the students in the academy joined.

Parents tell WINK News this is life-changing. Jessica Van Hart is a board member of Family Initiative and a parent of a child with autism, Colby.

“There were a lot of years that I used to lay awake wondering, how could I do this? How could we find a place for my son that would give him the education that he needed in the way he would understand? So, this is a dream come true, a dream come true for not just myself, but a lot of parents, and it will have an impact on our community for so many years,” Van Hart said.

Speaker Renner saw the need years ago and decided to get involved.

“It’s just a very special moment for the parents and the children that are going to get a great education here and get just exactly what they need, kind of the personalized, customized education that is really so important,” said Renner.

Renner has worked closely with Family Initiative during his time in politics.

WINK News got a tour of the school building that currently teaches 28 students.

“We know our kids. We love our kids. They’re all amazing, smart, talented, hilarious. Our job is just to put a little spotlight on that and let everyone else see that too,” said Van Drie.

Students at the academy will focus on academics, social and life skills, and vocational training. Some call this school the start of a trend.

“We want to duplicate this for sure and make sure that there’s a Thrive Academy in every corner of Florida for kids that need it. That’s a priority and something I know that the members here, the local delegation, will carry forward,” Renner said.

“What we wanted, is to really allow our kids to explore everything that they can be so long term, like they can do whatever they’d like to do,” Van Drie said.

‘I’m so excited to see kids come here, get an education, go out into the world and have jobs and try and live as independent as they can. It’s going to be an amazing life-changing things for not just myself, but other families,” Van Hart said.

A 4.5-acre campus, which includes three buildings totaling 20,000 square feet, was acquired through a $5 million grant awarded to Family Initiative. An additional $250,000 grant from the Golisano Foundation has provided further support for the academy’s development.

Family Initiative has recently acquired new property, so eventually they say Thrive Academy will teach 250 students across middle and high school levels.

You can apply on the Thrive Academy website. As for tuition, they do offer scholarships.