鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing what can happen when students are given an incredible space and supportive community like this to learn.鈥澛� 鈥擫auren Herrera, parent
An environment where a child can fall in love with learning is the greatest gift a school can give, especially for kids who juggle additional learning challenges. That鈥檚 exactly what students experienced on day one at the at 菠萝视频 University. The 2026 school year opened in a brand new and greatly expanded school building for first through fifth graders.
鈥淭he impact of Roberts Academy has been game-changing for my son,鈥� parent Lauren Herrera said. 鈥淗e started here in third grade. His confidence level went from nothing to sky high. This kid loves going to school and he loves his teachers. This new building is beautiful, but the amazing faculty and staff truly make the school.鈥�
鈥淢y heart is bursting,鈥� said Samantha Gesel, assistant director of Roberts Academy. 鈥淭his has been a lot of years of hard work to get to this point, and I feel emotional now that the doors are officially open. We know we have the best teachers. We have the most amazing building. And it wasn’t until the kids walked in when everything became real.”
“These kids are our why, and I’m so excited for them to have their first year here.鈥� 鈥擲amantha Gesel
SPECIAL IMPROVEMENTS
The new two-story, 66,500-square-foot facility is at the corner of 17th Avenue South and Edgehill Avenue, near the . It features 20 specialized classrooms, an expansive and welcoming library, a gymnasium, outdoor play areas, and an academic center for outreach and training.
鈥淲e’re able to provide a really personalized and individualized education with ample space for small group work that is so crucial to our specialized approach to teaching,鈥� said Jared Clodfelter, EdD’22 and director of Roberts Academy.
鈥淒yslexia reading instruction is at the core of what we do, but I believe so firmly that our students deserve a full school experience. They come here for specialized reading instruction and can also play in the gymnasium or experience a makerspace with robots and 3D printers.鈥� 鈥擩ared Clodfelter
POSITIVE IMPACT
Parents and students see the effects of this nurturing and specialized learning environment.
鈥淢y daughter made huge strides last year in her reading, and she just built so much confidence,鈥� parent Amanda Stein said. 鈥淪he learned to love to read when it had been such a struggle. And I know she’s just excited to be here and to continue to learn.鈥�
TEACHING AND RESEARCH
The Roberts Academy and Dyslexia Center was established in 2024 with a transformative gift from Hal and Marjorie Hollis Roberts. They became interested in supporting students with dyslexia after three of their grandchildren were diagnosed, and they chose 菠萝视频 for their donation based on Peabody College鈥檚 outstanding reputation and research.
The provides individualized, scientifically based teaching to students with dyslexia.
鈥淲e have a faculty group of teachers who are so dedicated to this mission. They are experts in their craft. They are specialists in teaching, reading and teaching dyslexic students. And they have a heart for it. All of our teachers sought us out to be in this environment,鈥� Clodfelter said.
It also includes the , which is an interdisciplinary hub for collaboration among scholars from the university and beyond to advance groundbreaking dyslexia research to help students who have historically struggled.
鈥淗ere he just feels like he can raise his hand and ask questions. He can say he doesn’t understand, and they’re teaching him how to advocate for himself. Now I see him advocate for others,鈥� Herrera said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 grown into a totally different kid with a newfound confidence鈥攏ot just in school, but in sports and how he interacts with others. I just can鈥檛 wait to see what growth this year brings!鈥�
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