Planting Purpose. Growing Leaders. Cultivating Change.

I didn’t set out to start a school. I set out to respond.

For years, I watched children in my community—especially those from the East Side of Temple—struggle with access: access to quality education, access to nutritious food, access to opportunities that could unlock their potential. As a mother, educator, and community leader, I couldn’t ignore the gaps any longer. I knew that something deeper than tutoring or food giveaways was needed. Our children needed roots.

I began by gathering families. Reading with kids. Planting small gardens. Leading discussions about leadership and identity. Then, as more children came, and more parents asked to be involved, the Un-Included Club was born—a movement to be un-included from the habits, systems, and mindsets that lead to un-wellness in our communities.

But even that wasn’t enough.

In 2021, in the middle of national uncertainty and local challenges, Cultivate Academy-CTX was planted. Not in a traditional school building, but in faith, in truth, and in the soil—literally. I envisioned a school where students could grow food, grow in wisdom, and grow into their purpose. A place where literacy, leadership, Kingdom values, and agriculture were not separate subjects—but interconnected tools for transformation.

As a certified master teacher, a mother of seven, and the Executive Director of Un-Included, I’ve committed my life to building bridges between what our children deserve and what they’ve been offered. Today, Cultivate Academy is more than a microschool—it’s a movement of young pioneers growing microgreens, building businesses, teaching wellness, leading news segments, and serving their community with confidence and compassion.

This is personal. This is generational.
And this is just the beginning.

– Doree Collins M.Ed., Ec-4th Gen., Ec-12th Sped.
Founder, Cultivate Academy-CTX
Executive Director, Un-Included Club