Charter school allows students to get creative through tech, art, song, dance

Arts Academy of Excellence Charter aims to be outlet for children

OPA-LOCKA, Fla. – A new charter school in Opa-locka is offering students the chance to succeed in the classroom by combining the arts with traditional class subjects.

Students say the Arts Academy of Excellence Charter School gives them the tools to dream big for the future.

Ajaylon Peoples, who is in the sixth grade, is currently tackling a robotics class, but it’s visual arts that has his heart.

"Arts has been my talent and I like doing it," Ajaylon said.

For Trinity Cason, it's dance class that keeps her happy.

"It's my thing," she said. "I don't like other jobs. I want to express my talents."

This is the first year for the sixth-grade through ninth-grade arts and technology school.

Teachers said they feel they are filling a void for their students.

"All of the schools offer reading arts language arts, such as we do. What makes our school special and differentiates our school from other schools is the focus of cultural arts and performing arts,"  Marjorie Scott, dean of students, said.

Dance teacher Anita Hope is a veteran dancer and teacher. She knows what she teaches in the studio fills so many roles in real life.

"It brings more opportunities than dance -- it teaches them discipline, it teaches them structure, but it also gives them an opportunity to first learn what dance is all about,so history about them, some culture," she said.