New Boys Private School to Open in Akron This August
A new private school focused on early childhood education and character development for young boys is set to open its doors in Akron on August 21. Dreams Academy, founded by Akron native Brandon R. Scarborough, will serve boys in grades K-2, with a mission grounded in academic excellence and emotional intelligence.
Scarborough, a Buchtel High School graduate and professional gospel musician, has long been a familiar name in Akron’s faith community. But years of attending the funerals of young Black men, often providing the music, left a deep impression on him. He’s now channeling that heartbreak into a bold vision: “fewer funerals to greater futures.”
The academy builds on Scarborough’s successful Kings Academy mentorship program launched in 2016, which emphasized respect, leadership, and life skills like tying ties. By 2021, it expanded to include Queens Academy for girls. However, opening a school was always his deeper calling.
“This was always the goal,” Scarborough said. “I actually did not plan for the mentoring portion. That just kind of came about.”
Scarborough’s background as an educator spans middle school, high school, and college levels. Inspired by his father’s work through Hope House, a facility offering meals, education, and addiction recovery, he founded Hope House Behavioral Health to support families’ emotional and mental health needs directly on the Dreams Academy campus.
“Our mission is for our young men to be not just academically intelligent, but emotionally intelligent as well,” Scarborough emphasized.
Dreams Academy received a $135,000 grant from the Drexel Fund, which supports school founders with funding and mentorship. Over the past year, Scarborough visited schools nationwide, learning directly from education leaders and strategists to build his model.
Monique Swain will serve as the school’s founding principal, bringing her own leadership experience to help shape this next chapter in Akron’s educational landscape.
At its core, Dreams Academy is a declaration that every child deserves a future full of possibilities. It affirms the fundamental right of every child to quality education, not just as a path to academic success, but as a foundation for emotional growth, dignity, and opportunity.
