Over 30 Years of Service to the Community
The George B. Thomas Learning Academy, and its signature program Saturday School, have been supporting youth education and academic achievement in Montgomery County since 1986. It has been a collaborative effort for over 30 years, in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools and the dedicated community members who help make our work possible.
OUR HISTORY
Originally known as the Olney Saturday School, the first learning center was established in 1986 by members of the MU NU Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Recognizing a growing need in the community to improve academic achievement, these individuals focused on helping young students with extra academic support. The group began with 21 children and 19 volunteers who met on Saturday mornings at the Housing Opportunities Commission center in Olney, Maryland.
In 1994, a second location was established in at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, and, by 2005, twelve Saturday School centers were serving communities across Montgomery County.
Today, the George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy serves over 3,000 students annually and works in tandem with Montgomery County Public Schools. With Saturday School as our primary program, our focus is to support MCPS cluster schools – elementary, middle and high schools – in key areas where our work will have the greatest impact.
DR. GEORGE B. THOMAS, SR.
Dr. George B. Thomas, Sr. (1929 – 2016) retired in July of 2016 from his position as founder and President of the non-profit organization that bears his name, and he remained active in his work to the day of his passing. His strong belief in learning and life-long commitment to education continues to inspire our community, and it serves to guide the work still necessary to eliminate the achievement gap among students nationwide.
Read more about Dr. George B. Thomas, Sr. in this News Release – July 2016: News Release – Dr. George B. Thomas, Sr. Retires
“….When he opened the doors to the first Saturday School classroom, Dr. Thomas was acting on his belief in the importance of education as the guarantor of a level playing field. ‘I grew up in a family of sharecroppers in segregated South Carolina, but I took to heart the message my mother repeated—that education is the great equalizer,’ Dr. Thomas said. ‘She was determined that I would have a good education. The full life that has provided me is there for all of us if we persevere and are encouraged by a caring community. That community of support and learning is what Saturday School delivers.’ ”
Watch video on the life and work of Dr. George B. Thomas, Sr.
(3.46 minutes)
OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF
Khadija Barkley
Executive Director
Khadija Barkley has been the Executive Director of the George B. Thomas Learning Academy – and its signature program, Saturday School – since July of 2015.
Prior to joining the organization, Mrs. Barkley was an administrator with Montgomery County Public Schools, serving six years as Principal of the Roberto W. Clemente Middle School in Germantown.
Main Office Staff and Center Directors
| Main Office Staff: | |
| Khadija F. Barkley | Executive Director |
| Cynthia G. Anderson | Director of Development |
| Juanita King | Office Manager |
| Shelia J. Harrison | Director of Programs |
| Jan Chapman | Marketing, Print Graphics, & Grant Writer |
| (TBD) | Program Monitor |
| Paul Costello | Americorp Project Change |
| Bernadine Green | Administrative Assistant |
| Center Directors: | |
| Christina Putman | Burtonsville - at Paint Branch High School |
| Adam Ritchie | Clarksburg - at Clarksburg High School |
| Cara Grant | Kensington - at Albert Einstein High School |
| Allison Kimball | Gaithersburg - at Gaithersburg High School |
| Raquel Marshall | Gaithersburg - at Watkins Mill High School |
| Elyse Ridges | Germantown - at Northwest High School |
| Clark Montgomery | Rockville - at Magruder High School |
| Rene Shuler | Rockville - at Rockville High School |
| Nicole P. Allain | Silver Spring - at Montgomery Blair High School |
| Nikki Morales | Silver Spring - at Springbrook High School |
| Dollie Wallace | Silver Spring - at Strathmore Elementary School |
| Jeanette Blackwood | Silver Spring - at Wheaton High School |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
| Arnold Avant | General Member |
| Eric Bailey | General Member |
| Hoan Dang | General Member |
| Hula Edmonds | Secretary |
| Reginald M. Felton | President |
| Maria Garcia | General Member |
| Dr. Leonard Haynes, III | General Member |
| James Martin | Vice President |
| Kathryn Martin | General Member |
| Vincent Napoleon | General Member |
| Dr. William Powell, Jr. | General Member |
| Troy Priest, Esq | Board Counsel |
| James Rodgers | Treasurer |
| Dr. Philippa Smithey | General Member |
| Khadija Barkley | Executive Director |
OUR PARTNERS
OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS
Key Funding Partners
Montgomery County Government
Montgomery County Public Schools
Corporations/Businesses
Achieve 3000
Adsystech, Inc.
Bailey Wealth Advisors
Capital Peers Investments
Chesapeake Employers Insurance
Coalescence
Coffey Consulting, LLC
Comcast
DeWitt and Associates
Educational Systems Federal Credit Union
EuroMotors
Hargrove, Inc.
ID Private Equity
Intelligent Decisions
KRA Corporation
NRG Energy
Penan & Scott, P.C.
Pepco Holdings, Inc
PRM Consulting
Quality Biological, Inc.
Thompson Hospitality
United Communications Group, Inc.
Washington Gas
Foundations
The Bancroft Family Foundation
Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
Sharing Montgomery Fund
Jack and Jill of America Foundation
John and Effie Macklin Charitable Fund
Mu Nu Foundation
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Omega Life Membership Foundation
Associations
Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators
Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals
Montgomery County Education Association
South Carolina State University Alumni, Washington DC Chapter
Other Non-Government Organizations
America’s Charities
Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County
Aunt Hattie’s Place
Beta Mu Boule Fraternity
IBM Employee Services
Ivy Vine Charities, Inc.
Nigerian Friendship Association, Inc.
The Links, Inc., Silver Spring, MD Chapter
NAACP, Montgomery County Chapter
United Way of the National Capital Area
Victims’ Rights Foundation
Zion Baptist Church
Mighty Men Of Zion
Educational Institutions
Albert Einstein HS Art Department
Montgomery College
Our Lady Of Good Counsel High School
The Universities at Shady Grove
Individual Donors
Richard Ahlberg
Annie Ahmed
Nancy Aldous
Sanford O. Ames
Robert and Wanda Anastasi
Anonymous Donor
Felton and Fran Armstrong
Howard Atkinson, Jr.
Robert Atkinson
Knowlton Atterbeary
Arnold Avant * and Dorothy Avant
Robin Avant
Janine Bacquie
Eric Bailey*
Gail Bailey
Larry Bakley
Christopher S. Barclay
Nancy Becker
Milton Bernard, D.D.S.
Lewis A. Berry
Julia Bidwick
Sonia Bivens
Col. Clinton Black
Eddie Black
Connie Blake
Skip Bland
James Bonner
Larry Bowers
Kitty Bradley
Francis and Bob Brady
Shirley Brandman
Wilbert Briggs
Oceola and Tyrone Briscoe
Alfred Brock
Mamie Brown
Rev. Keith Byrd
Lynnwood Campbell
Paulette Walker Campbell
Lottie Burruss Cantey
Dickie Carter
Mary Casco
Robert Cason
Marielena Castro-Gutierrez
Adrian and Jan Chapman
Lester and Amy Coffey
Delores Cole
Willie H. Coleman
Nancy Westin-Colton
Phil Colton
Marsha N. Corley
Paul Costello
Courtland Cox
Aileen Craig
Marty Creel
Sterling Crockett
Lawrence and Glenda Cross
Brenda Dancil-Jones
Hoan Dang*
John C. Davis
Priscilla Delong
Frank Dickey
Judith R. Docca
Lorraine Driver
Mark Drury
Michael A. Durso
Hula C. Edmonds*
Reginald M. Felton*
Robert Felton
Pearl Flowers
Genevieve Floyd
Jeremiah Floyd
Sherrell Ford-Pierce
Joan Foster
Laura Frene
Wilbur H. Friedman
Marcellous Frye, Jr.
Tracye Funn
Maria S. Garcia*
Thomas Gentile
Lynn Gertz
Cynthia Gill
Woodrow Gill
Cephus and Thurman Goldman
Ginny Gong
Solomon Graham
Donna Graves
Sidney Green
Gary Greene
Doris Handy
Cynthia and Michael Hardy
David Harris, Jr.
Milton Harrison
Leonard L. Haynes, III*
Henry and Bonnie Heller
Bill and Karen Henry
Dr. and Mrs. Marc Hertzman
Marcella A. Hickey
David A. Hill
DeAngela Hill
Lamar Hill
Donna S. Hollingshead
Melissa Holloway
Maj. General Arthur, Jr.
Wilma K. Holmes
Frances Hooks
Jill Howell
Jerry A. Hubbard, Sr.
Roland Ikheloa
Elizabeth Ingram
Emma James
Robert J. Jamison
Shawn Jenkins
Bobby C. Jewett
Frank L. Joe
Bob and Bonnie Johnson
George Johnson
Maurice Johnson
Michael Johnson
Robert Johnson
Jerry L. Jones, Jr.
Philip Kauffman
Clare Keller
Margaret Keller
George D. Kimbrough
Rollie Kimbrough
Patricia King
Andrew Klugh
James Koutsos
Don and Joanne Kress
Kelli Kunert
Lewis and Gwendolyn Kurtz
Frieda K. Lacey
Alvin Lambert
Erick J. Lang
Judy Lapping
Calvin and Esperanza LaRoche
Constance T. Laws
Laurence M. Laws
Charles Lawson
Isiah and Catherine Leggett
Betty Leonard
Reginald Lewis
Sharon Leyhow
Mark and Anna Maggio
Troy K. Manigault
Richard C. Markle
James Martin*
Henry and Marylah Martin, Jr.
Kathryn Martin*
Ailyn Martinez
Charles E. Mayberry
Carla McGill
Richard “Crow” Mitchell, II
Ruby Moone
Sylvia Morrison
John Morse
Susanne Murray
Vincent Napoleon, Esq.*
Linda A. Natale
Maria V. Navarro
B. Eugene Neal
Kenneth Nelson
Michael O’Bryant
Patricia O’Neill
Barron Oakcrum
John M. Organ
Rose Parker
Suzanne and Gaffar Peang-Meth
Ida Polcari
Anita Powell
Dr. William O. Powell, Jr.*
Troy A. Priest, Esq.*
Tony Proctor
Douglas Prouty
Yolanda Pruitt
Shalom Raboya
Cynthia A. Rattley
Ed Reback
Red Door Spa
Charles Reese
Carolynn Reid-Wallace
Glen Rempe
Carmen and Carol Rivera
James E. Rodgers*
Steven W. Rose
Elinor J. Rouff
Ann Rudd
Rupert Landscaping
Sandy Spring Bank
Scott Satterlund
Carol Schatz-Rogers
Marilyn and Barry Scheiner
William Schlossenberg
Joy Schwab
Mr. and Mrs. Dick Scull
Ruth E. Sernak
Daniel Shea
Rosa V. Shelton
James Sherard
Michael Shpur
Darlene Simmons
Parnell Singleton
Jeffrey Z. Slavin
Leilani Henry Smith
Richard Smith
Rebecca Smondrowski
Clarence and Judy Snuggs
Samuel Spann, III
Marshall Spatz
Kimberly Statham
Frank and Teri Sue Stetson
Barron and Elizabeth Stroud
Mike Tellschow
Danielle Tetens
Charles J. Thomas
Clarence Thomas, Jr.
David and Donna Thomas
Dr. and Mrs. George B. Thomas, Sr.*
Mable D. Thomas
Marvin and Lori Thomas
Michael and Karen Thomas
Benita Thompson-Byas
Michele Thompson
Saralee Todd
Juliette G. Trevino
Karalee Turner-Little
Roosevelt Twigg
Timothy B. Warner
Frances Watts-Henry
Jerry D. and Linda Weast
Donald Williams, II
LaVerne A. Wilson
Gregory Wims
Ellen Woodson
Hyman Young
Andrew Zuckerman