BRANCH, La. (KLFY) – AMI Kids Acadiana, a juvenile residential, and non-profit organization is looking for a little help from the community as funds are limited in providing their students with the educational resources they need to prevail. 

“Most of the time our resources are limited, but we try to receive any resource that's available,” said Janae Allen, Director of Education. 

She said they partnered with the Acadia Parish school board which can help with those resources. Also, their materials and books are usually donated from a different AMI Kids facility but more resources are needed. The facility hosts all males ages 12-18 years old from the state sent through the court system. "We try not to look at our students being like incarcerated but we are a program and we want to make sure that they stay on the same guidelines as their normal schooling,” said Allen. 

All the classes teach the major subjects, math, science, social studies, and ELA classes. Also programs to achieved the HI Set or GED. Allen said even though the students are away from their public school, the program still run through the same criteria, and try to make sure the students earn the credits that are needed so they can continue their path to graduate on time,” said Allen. 

Dominic Danton, a 17-year-old 11th grader in the program said he has been there for a year and two months. "I'm not going to lie is one of the best facilities around, in my opinion. It gives us structure, teaches us life skills that we need to know for whenever we go back out into the community." 

Danton says that he has achieved one of his goals of becoming captain and is working to return home. In the future, he hopes to become a successful entrepreneur but explains the positive impact needed to be achieved with the right resources. "A lot of books that we have are for lower grade levels and I feel like we need more books that are more on our skill level for like the 11th and 12th graders, like the more high school students because, I mean, education is a lot. Education is a big part of growing up and you need to know it for whenever you get back out of the community and find a job,” he said. 

"The ultimate goal that I like to see is these graduations happening and these kids actually received their diplomas that did not think that they actually can retrieve these huge accomplishments,” said Allen. 

If you would like to help donate resources such as books, supplies, online resources, or be a mentor call (337) 334-4838 or give here. 

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