Grace Education Advocacy Incorporated

GEAI is a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, receives the education and support they need to thrive. We advocate with families, not just for them, helping them navigate school systems, access resources, and secure the services their children deserve.
We partner with school systems, educators, and communities to remove barriers to learning and promote meaningful, lasting change. At the heart of our work is the belief that students succeed when families are empowered and schools are responsive to their needs.

Our Founder and Executive Director

Dr. Lauren D. Hargrave is a passionate advocate and educator. She brings expertise in educational psychology, evaluation, and program design to her work with K–12 schools and families. Her advocacy leadership is driven by a deep belief that when families are empowered and systems are challenged to do better, student success is inevitable. Dr. Hargrave founded GEAI because she believes in giving a voice to the voiceless.

Our Mission

To passionately advocate for the rights of youth and families facing schooling challenges. We are dedicated to collaborating with school systems, educators, and communities to ensure equitable access to quality education for every student.

Programs

The BRIDGE Advocacy Program helps families navigate complex school systems and advocate for the educational interventions their children are entitled to receive. Through a combination of direct advocacy, Parenting 101 training, and legal education connections, BRIDGE empowers families to become informed, confident partners in their child’s education.

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Key Components:

Advocacy: We meet with schools, attend IEP/504/MTSS meetings, review academic data, and guide families through every step of the advocacy process to ensure students have access to the resources needed to succeed academically and social-emotionally.
Parenting 101: Two-session coaching series to help parents effectively support their child’s learning.
Legal Educational Insights: Families are linked with attorneys for advice on education law and student rights (as needed).

The ANCHOR Tutoring Program is GEAI’s academic support initiative, designed to reinforce classroom instruction and provide students with the extra support they need to stay on course. Just as an anchor stabilizes a ship, this program helps students stay grounded in their learning, especially when facing academic challenges, by addressing learning gaps and boosting performance through high-quality, personalized instruction.

Tutoring is available only to families who have begun the BRIDGE Advocacy Program, ensuring that all support is aligned with each student's educational needs and school-based interventions. This approach allows us to tailor tutoring sessions based on a clear understanding of why support is needed and how to maximize student growth.

Services Include:

1:1 Tutoring sessions 2-4 times a month
Monthly parent updates
Tutoring progress reports used during advocacy meetings

The Kathy Conte Make a Difference Award, is an annual award that celebrates teachers who have made a significant impact on students in Lexington City Schools. The award supports teacher retention and builds stronger school-family-community relationships.

The award is named in honor of Ms. Kathy Conte, our founder’s 4th-grade teacher, who made a lasting difference and inspired her journey into education

Award Includes:

$1,000 cash prize
Commemorative Plaque
1-year advisory seat on GEAI’s Board of Directors
Opportunity to use funds for classroom supplies

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Your Support Matters

GIVE

With your donation, we can:

Provide free or low-cost advocacy to families in crisis
Deliver high-impact tutoring to students falling behind
Honor and retain life-changing teachers in our communities

Ways to Give or Partner:

Sponsor one student/family for a full year: $2,500
Support a tutoring scholarship: $720–$1,440
Contribute to the Kathy Conte Award Fund
Host a fundraiser or become a recurring donor
Offer in-kind donations (tutoring, meeting spaces, etc.)