Once Upon a School: A Story of Dreaming Big, Falling Hard, and Bouncing Back

by Kate Kennedy

What do you do when you see something you can’t ignore? That’s what happened to Kate Kennedy one day as she drove down the Courtland Street corridor in Atlanta, Georgia. After that day, she could not look away. Once Upon a School shares the story of a stay-at-home mom of four who ignited a wave of community change by building a school to serve children without housing. One dollar and one day at a time, Kate pushed against all odds to build a program that cares for the most vulnerable children. In the process, she learned more about herself than she ever imagined . . . even when it all began to fall apart.
With humor and vulnerability, Kate shares the story of challenging the status quo and digging deep into her own story to find connection, hope, and new answers to old problems.
Once Upon a School is a story of racial inequity, generational poverty, and finding community in the most unlikely places. It’s about building a school, standing up for children, and finding your place in the world. As the story unfolds, Kate invites readers to challenge themselves and their own communities through the lenses of social impact, personal growth, and theology.
Once Upon a School is about daring to dream big and learning to bounce back. This journey reminds us, writes Kate, that “we all have the capacity to make lasting community change in our own unique ways if we can find the strength and courage to take the first step and keep on walking.”

270 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Alison Earles · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful and honest work. Thank God for the author’s courage and perseverance. As a former entrepreneur, it is so refreshing to read about what it is like to for a mother to manage a family while creating and nurturing a “brain child.” I look forward to reading about future schools and programs launched by this marvelous and faithful force of nature.

[Gretchenasher7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

This book recounts the ups and downs that are common when starting a new venture. However, this new venture was not common. The author’s bold dream to start a tuition-free school catering to young children who have experienced homelessness was inspired. As she details, it was not easy, but this is a book about perseverance and faith. She believed in the mission and had the faith to get it up and running despite tremendous challenges along the way. It is well written and an inspiration for anyone with a desire to help and be a change maker. Highly recommended. Well done!

[Cary Calhoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful, uplifting book. Kate wrote an honest depiction of her journey to open a school for your children born into generational poverty. She is open about the challenges and the joys of this trek. It gives courage to those who want to realize a dream. I could not be more impressed with this very real story of hope and redemption!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I must confess that I am biased in that I I'm a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church and I know and love Kate Kennedy. That being said, I received this book this morning and just finished it. I did not intend to read it in one day but it is so far above what I normally expect from a book like this and it's a page turner. I found it inspirational, informative and very moving. "Only in the darkness. Can we see the stars." ❤️