News & Stories

I am writing to share my family’s experience with Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) this year, hoping it might be helpful for new families who are becoming eligible for EFAs next school year. My daughter, who has autism, faced significant challenges in the public school system, especially after moving to a larger middle school following the pandemic. Despite our efforts and the school administration’s kindness, she experienced relentless bullying, which led to depression and thoughts of...

My husband and I are so grateful for all the donations to the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids (PIAK) scholarship, and we were really delighted to hear that it has grown this year and can help more students like our great-granddaughter Angelina. She has had some turbulence in her young life, and for that reason we are very protective. We not only provide care for her in a safe, loving environment in our home, we also want her to be safe and loved at school. Last year, as she entered...

Our family had a unique experience seeking an Educational Freedom Account (EFA) for not just one, but two children after the LEARNS Act passed. We have one child who qualified, having received the Succeed Scholarship. The financial support it provided to send our child to a school that was an ideal fit was a blessing. It was as if the state was saying to us, “We see you, we support you as parents, and your child matters.” Additionally, we have a second child who, just starting school, also...

My husband and I understand how every child needs a specific learning environment to succeed. Our oldest son was an academic achiever who never needed help on homework and has successfully earned multiple college degrees. But our youngest has had a different journey. Diagnosed with autism and dyslexia, he struggled in public school. His kindergarten teacher was phenomenal, working closely with him, keeping him a second year and even coming to our home for tutoring. But that classroom was just...

I want to thank Arkansans everywhere who have contributed to the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids program and encourage others to do the same. By designating your sales-tax bill for scholarship funding, you create something special for my granddaughter Teegan and hundreds of other students across the state. Teegan, who has autism, attends the Lighthouse, which provides not just learning but growth. She receives all her therapies–speech, physical, occupational–there on scholarship....

When covid started, I was a single mom trying to teach two special-needs children with two very different abilities by myself. Trying to juggle work, teaching, and taking both my boys to their different therapies alone was defeating. But I knew they could not reach their full potential with just my help. I started looking into alternative education opportunities for my non-verbal son Eli as he was about to transition to kindergarten. I found the Lighthouse and knew it was the best place for...