Enrollment grows for Florida nonprofit with no-cost Christian school for at-risk kids

A faith-based Florida nonprofit is continuing to grow its free private Christian school program to serve at-risk children in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Urban Youth Impact in West Palm Beach offers K-5th grade at no cost to qualifying families through Carver Christian Academy.

The program relies on donations, grants, and private school scholarships through Florida’s Step Up for Students ESA program to fully cover tuition. Step Up scholarships in Florida typically provide around $8,000 to $9,000 per student each year depending on grade and location, WPTV reports.

Urban Youth Impact focuses its services on low-income neighborhoods such as the Tamarind Corridor and Riviera Beach.

“As long as you’re in the local area, and we can get the parents on board, sign up for the Step Up funds – we can get them in our school,” Urban Youth Impact representative Connor Lee told reporters. 

Many families in the community earn between $15,000 and $20,000 annually, according to the nonprofit. 

In the past year, enrollment at Carver Christian Academy has nearly doubled. This year the school welcomed 114 students, up from 65 last year. 

Principal Daniella Leonce said students’ reading levels have gone from about 15% proficiency to 77%. 

Class sizes are capped at 15 students, with each classroom staffed by two educators. One teacher focuses on academics while the other – called a shepherd – supports students’ emotional, behavioral and spiritual needs. 

The school also offers after-school care, mentorship programs and high school initiatives aimed at preparing students for college or the workforce. 

Last year, high school students who participated in Urban Youth Impact’s programs achieved a 100% graduation rate, with every graduate moving on to higher education or the military. 

Urban Youth Impact plans to expand beyond K-5 to offer up through 8th grade in the coming years. 

Palm Beach County, home to about 1.5 million residents, is in southeastern Florida and is one of the most populous counties in the state. Its county seat is West Palm Beach. 

Florida has made private school choice a major priority. For the 2025-26 school year, the state will spend about $3.9 billion on private school scholarship programs administered by Step Up for Students and other groups. The funding will allow hundreds of thousands of families to send their children to private schools that best meet their needs. 

Image credit: urbanyouthimpact.com.