After being decimated by the horrific California wildfires, an L.A.-area school is coming up with creative ways to keep its kids motivated.
Shawn Brown founded Pasadena Rosebud Rosebud Academy Charter School in Altadena in 2007 to give back to the community where she grew up, offering children opportunities to acquire critical thinking and financial literacy.
As Brown, the school’s executive director, deals with the loss of her own home, she makes time to help kids continue learning in the middle of grief.
“I haven’t had any moment to think about anything,” Brown was saying. “I had to go from hearing that the house and the school burned down, to figuring out, ‘What am I gonna do with these kids next?'”
Searching for a new building after the wildfires
After the Eaton Fire, which killed 17 people and destroyed the school, Brown and her staff rapidly devised a plan.
“So the first week after all of this, we scheduled field trips,” she told me. “One of our cornerstones is exposure and experience, therefore we make an effort to get our students involved in the community. And we understand that travel is an important aspect of thinking big and dreaming big.”
One of the sites they went was the California Science Center.
Despite the field outings, Brown’s students still need classrooms.
“I don’t think they (the pupils) appreciate the gravity of the situation. They realize their school has burned down, but I believe a larger part of it is that they know we still have each other,” Brown explained.
Following a lengthy investigation, her team discovered a temporary solution. On Monday, the pupils gathered to be bused to their new school.
When the students arrived at The Beehive in South Los Angeles, they were thrilled.
“It’s a high-tech institution that serves Black and Brown kids. It’s in Los Angeles, and they really invite students in to assist them understand more about technology and encourage them to pursue careers in those industries as well.” Brown said. “They worked tirelessly that weekend to transform each of their studios into classrooms for our students.
Staff at The Beehive went out and purchased desks, chairs, and other materials for the youngest pupils, but the solution is only temporary. In two weeks, they’ll need a new location to continue studying.
Student impact
Some pupils and their families lost both their houses and their school.
“I think she thinks we’re on vacation, which is fine with me because it’s been very difficult emotionally,” said Amber Trejo, whose 5-year-old daughter Caira attends Rosebud Academy.
Trejo’s childhood house, where she resided with her grandmother, parents, brother, and children, burned destroyed.
“We had everything in that house.” “I spent my entire childhood in that house, but we will rebuild and strengthen it,” Trejo added.
She explained that being able to keep her daughter in school provides them both a feeling of normalcy.
“It makes me happy.” It makes me glad for her.
Life outside the classroom
Brown is still suffering with the loss of her home, as well as the home she grew up in, where her mother Gloria still lives.
Brown’s mother had resided in her home for over 50 years. She finally returned to see what remained after the wildfire destroyed her community. She stated that she intends to rebuild her home, while Brown aims to construct a new Rosebud Academy.
“We would really need funding to rebuild, and that has been the ultimate goal for the school even when I started it,” Brown told the crowd. “The long-term goal is to build something amazing for our students.”
