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Glenwood Academy Offers A Home Away From Home For Kids In Challenging Situations; 'I Call People Here My Sisters'

CHICAGO (CBS) -- To many it's a hidden gem. Located 35 miles south of Chicago, you'll find Glenwood Academy. The school serves as a second home and a second chance; educating good kids who come from challenging situations.

"I call people here my sisters, because they help me; help with my homework, or problems that I have. They're here for me," said 10th grader Natalie Sylvertooth.

Since 2nd grade, Glenwood truly has been a home away from home for Natalie and her sister, Kiera. They both now attend Bloom High School, but Glenwood provides them with shelter and structure.

"The school that we came from – Westcott – it was in the city and it wasn't really that good. It'd be fights almost every day. So me coming here to Glenwood, it was like a good transformation, because it's like a safe haven. You can say that we're all family. So we know that nothing is gonna happen to us. We all make close bonds," Kiera said.

Glenwood, which used to be an all-boys school, has been around for well over a century. About 150 students, many from unstable environments, attend classes and live on the south suburban campus Monday through Friday, while sticking to a strict military-style schedule. They do get to go home on the weekends.

"When our kids come to us, most of them have experienced many adverse childhood experiences, which are called ACES. … divorce, death of a family member, violence in the community, violence in home, poverty, educational systems that fail them, bullying, abuse, neglect," said Glenwood Academy President and CEO Mary Hollie.

"When they come to us, it is our job to help them work through those traumas, and as they work through the traumas, they begin to develop resilience, and we work with the families to do the same thing, and through that resilience is really where their success comes, and they take that with them wherever they go," she added.

Felicia Sylvertooth is the grandmother and legal guardian of Kiera and Natalie. Glenwood has helped her raise four of her grandchildren.

"They say it takes a village. Well, Glenwood is that village," she said. "I can call Dr. Carter, or I can call Ms. Hollie, and I can say, 'I'm having an issue or I'm worried about the girls,' and they'll say, 'Well okay, we're gonna take care of it. Let's see what we can do,'" she said.

"We don't just educate the child, we educate the entire family. We focus on those things that will help break the cycle of poverty, injustice, and inequity," Hollie said.

The school is funded through donations.

The academy is about to dedicate a new wing designed to help family members find jobs, and get support and other resources to improve their situations. To find out more about year-round enrollment, and how you can help, go to glenwoodacademy.org

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