Steven Grant Knows That It Takes A Village

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Tommie Nicholson

For Steven Grant of Jackson, MS, serving his community is really important. Men are typically not at the forefront in the child-development profession, but Steven is different. He is the owner and founder of The Village Academy, a childcare and enrichment center located in Jackson, whose mission is to care for children utilizing a curriculum designed to help them succeed.

Steven is an Ordained Minister, husband, and father of four. After high school, he enrolled at Jackson State University and later transitioned to Hines Community College. He also has a genuine love for children and says The Village Academy was developed on the belief that it takes a village to raise our children. “God gave me the vision for our center. Everyone in our community is part of the village, including the parents, students, and teachers. It takes everyone working on a collaborative effort to make this thing work,” he says.

Launched in 2020, The Village Academy operates of “Four C’s”, which stand for (Caring, Children, Curriculum, and Community). Steve explains, “The “Four C’s” means we are caring for all children by way of curriculum to enrich our communities and prepare to prepare and grow our children to the next level.”

The current enrollment at The Village Academy is twenty-five children. The ages of the students enrolled are three months old, all the way to five years old at the daycare. The school currently serves students between the ages of six and thirteen. The Village Academy also offers transportation via a bus that accommodates 22 children, along with a twelve-passenger van. They currently have a total of six employees.

Steven shares that what he loves most about what he does is seeing young children grow and develop into what they dream they can be. “As we shape and mold our children, we must keep the needs of our children in the forefront. Proper planning prevents pisspoor performance. If we plan properly, we will get the necessary performance from our children. The more we keep our kids engaged, the more we can get from them. We are able to accomplish this through proper planning. Planning helps our school to be the best learning facility we can be,” he says.

Some of the partnerships The Village Academy has established include the David Marion team. Steven says David has worked with his staff to help them identify students with behavioral issues and provided direction and information on what to do once doing so. These partnerships are in alignment with Steven’s vision for a collaborative effort. “I believe there is power in numbers and having as many hands on deck, or having as many people involved as possible, will help to ensure their students are successful.

Steven says that he is inspired mainly by his own children and the opportunity to help other children. As a parent, he has always been hands-on with the development of his own children. “I was known as Mr. Mom in the school system. I was part of Dads of Destiny and the Watchdog Dad Committee. Anytime there was an issue with my kids at school, I was the one who showed up. That allowed me to see other kids and how they interacted with one another. I got together with other men and talked about issues within the school system. I wanted to make a difference, and the best way I knew how to do it was to get involved,” he says.

Moving forward, Steven plans to continue to build The Village Academy into one of the top enrichment centers available. His approach to involving the whole community in the development of children is promising, and by the sounds of it, the future of his students looks very bright. To learn more about The Village Academy, please visit their website.

www.thevillageacademy.org