Village Gate Children's Academy Foundation

Village Gate Children’s Academy Foundation was founded in September 2009 by Bobbi and Larry Cecio on a simple but powerful belief: every child has an innate capacity to learn, grow, and flourish. When children are placed in environments that honor their individual learning styles and needs, they blossom.

Our school is rooted in academic excellence, global understanding, respect for all people and all things, community partnership, and service. We believe the whole world is our classroom, and we intentionally seek to expose our students to it so they may grow into thoughtful, compassionate citizens of the world.

As part of our commitment to raising globally aware children who feel empowered to make a difference, we created a program that invites students to explore real-world issues they care about. Students learn how to think critically, communicate effectively, and contribute meaningfully to conversations that shape our world.

Every three years, our 4th–6th grade students travel to the Northeast to experience their studies firsthand. This year’s focus is Identity and Immigration.

Understanding immigration is not only about history... it is about understanding people, perspective, and self. It helps children recognize that nearly every family carries a story of movement, courage, and hope. These realizations build empathy, cultural awareness, and respect for others’ journeys.

At this formative age, students are naturally asking:
 Who am I? Where do I belong? How do our stories shape us?
 This trip helps them explore those questions in meaningful, lasting ways.

New York City and Philadelphia serve as living classrooms.
 When students stand at Ellis Island, see the Statue of Liberty, walk historic neighborhoods, and visit museums, history becomes human. Lessons move from textbooks into lived experience.

They do not simply learn about immigration;, they feel its stories. They do not just study identity; they reflect on their own.

This is experiential learning at its most powerful. Research and experience alike show that learning rooted in real-world experience deepens understanding, strengthens retention, and inspires lifelong curiosity.

Aligned with Montessori values of independence, dialogue, and global citizenship, this journey invites students to learn with their minds, hearts, and hands.

The Journey Ahead

This culminating project includes a weeklong trip to:

New York City

• Immigration history
• Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty
• Wall Street and pivotal historical sites
• Cultural neighborhoods that reflect the richness of immigrant contributions

Philadelphia

• Early American history
• The foundations of our nation
• The diverse people and stories that shaped our country

Why We Need Your Support

This journey includes 37 students, 4 teachers, and parent chaperones.
 It is an extraordinary opportunity and a significant financial undertaking.

Your contribution helps ensure that every child can participate, regardless of financial circumstances. When you support this trip, you are investing in:

• Empathy and cultural understanding
• Confidence and independence
• Real-world historical insight
• Global citizenship
• A child’s sense of identity and belonging

Most importantly, you are helping shape how young people understand themselves and others in an interconnected world.

Thank You for Believing in Experiential Education. Your generosity helps transform learning from something students hear about into something they live. These are the moments students carry with them for the rest of their lives.

With gratitude,
Bobbi Etheridge