About Us

The Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute (Beacon Hill) concept began in the summer of 2003 when Charnella Derry (our current Executive Director) and Stephanie Lilly were trying to meet the needs of their own children. Between their families, they had 6 children at various grade levels. The two women were college roommates and graduates of Texas A&M University and both had a passion for supplemental education. They both came from families of educators and valued collaborative teaching and learning: education starts at home and ends in school. They wanted to give their children's teachers something to build on. After each family tried and used various accelerated programs, they decided (with teachers’ encouragement) to pass on to other families the lessons they had learned.

As African Americans, they were especially aware of how so many minority and low-income students continued to score low on standardized tests. They were determined to help make a dent in this problem, starting in the Dallas community. They knew that education had to be a partnership between the teacher, student, and parent; all three had to work together in order for the child to excel.

Initially, the academy was modeled after one of the oldest Chinese schools in the Dallas Metroplex & local Math and Reading Centers. While attending area Chinese schools, students work on reading and math at least 1 year above their grade level in a classroom environment. They also offer enrichment classes in Chinese origami, chess, basketball, and other activities. At local Math and Reading Learning Centers, students work through an individualized, self-paced program, but there are no enrichment activities.
Beacon Hill evolved into a non-profit in 2006 and our first partnership formed: Beacon Hill provided staff and volunteers, Mountain View College provided space, and Gideon Math and Reading offered their quality curriculum focused on students in South Dallas, but extending to the Metroplex.