For over 14 years, Bokay Town had no school—leaving generations of children and youth without access to formal education, opportunities, or hope for a brighter future. In this underserved and far-flung community, students were forced to walk over an hour each day to the nearest school, while many never had the chance to attend at all. Refugee families, internally displaced persons, and underprivileged children and youth were among those most affected, with little to no access to structured learning. 

This reflects a more significant crisis across Liberia and West Africa, where an essential technological and entrepreneurial literacy gap exists, limiting young people’s ability to thrive in an increasingly digital and competitive global economy. Traditional education in these regions relies on rote learning, lacks innovation, and fails to equip students with the critical thinking, leadership, and problem-solving skills needed for the 21st century.
We are bridging this gap at The Central Leadership Academy (CLA). As the first school in Bokay Town in over a decade, we provide youth and children from marginalized backgrounds-- including refugees and internally displaced persons—access to transformative education. Our approach goes beyond traditional learning—we focus on 21st-century skills, digital literacy, leadership, and entrepreneurship, empowering students to shape their own futures. 

Through hands-on, project-based learning, CLA equips students with practical knowledge and problem-solving abilities that prepare them for higher education, employment, and innovation. Our goal is to teach and cultivate thinkers, changemakers, and leaders who will uplift their communities and drive socio-economic development in Liberia and beyond.

Bokay Town is no longer a forgotten place. With CLA, it is becoming a hub of education, resilience, and transformation, ensuring no child is left behind.