Something historic is happening in North Omaha. A visionary educator with two decades of experience is doing what no one in Nebraska has done before — building a school from the ground up, by the community, for its girls. Identity Preparatory Academy has already made history as the first state-approved Black-founded school in Nebraska. As it prepares to transform academic opportunities in North Omaha, it does so with a steadfast mission to empower girls.
This is not just another school opening. It is a deliberate, community-driven movement — and Dr. DerNecia Phillips is leading every step of it.
Identity Preparatory Academy: Nebraska’s Historic First Black-Founded School for Girls
Dr. DerNecia Phillips is leading the effort to open Nebraska’s first state-approved, Black-founded school as the founder of Identity Preparatory Academy — an identity-focused middle school for girls in Omaha, Nebraska. With 20 years of experience in education, including the roles of teacher, principal, and principal coach, she is deeply committed to advancing education equity and education freedom.
That lived experience matters deeply. Phillips did not design this school from a boardroom or a policy brief. She designed it by listening — first to herself, and then to the families who would ultimately walk through its doors. The result is a school that feels personal, because it was built to be exactly that.
Identity Preparatory Academy prioritizes humanity in school by providing an academically rigorous education grounded in community, culture, and relationship. The school will serve 4th–8th grade girls in the North Omaha community in small classes, utilizing liberatory practices and an abolitionist education framework.
“Dreams of Our Daughters”: How the Community Built This School Together
What makes Identity Prep truly different is the process behind its creation. Rather than imposing a curriculum on families, Phillips invited them to shape it. The school’s purpose was developed with the families and daughters it aims to educate. Understanding their concerns and wishes surrounding education, the “Dreams of our Daughters” became pivotal to this unique learning approach.
“We invited the families and their daughters to come in. We called it the Dreams of Our Daughters. They talked about what kind of education that would be nourishing for them would look like,” explained DerNecia Phillips, founder and chief executive of Identity Preparatory Academy. “And then we built it out.”
This co-creation model is rare in education, and it is a big reason why the school carries such strong community backing from the start. The families who participated in pilot programming shared ideas for activities, the culture they wanted to create, and the kind of environment where their daughters would truly flourish.
Academic Excellence and Cultural Identity at the Core of Identity Prep’s Mission
Phillips is clear that cultural affirmation and academic rigor are not opposites — they go hand in hand. As she explains it, you cannot expect excellence from students who do not see themselves reflected in the people teaching them or the stories they are taught.
“We want high-quality education and academic excellence at the forefront. The way we’re getting there, and the track we’re laying, is that it needs to be culturally fortified. Our girls need to see people that look like them and leadership that looks like them,” Phillips said.
At Identity Preparatory Academy, learner identity, purpose, interest, leadership, and voice are uplifted, as well as the beauty and cultural wealth provided by the people, resources, and history of the community. By creating a supportive and empowering learning environment with educators and curriculum representative of the student population, the school aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to excel academically.
Why an All-Girls Education Model Works — And What the Research Shows
One of the bolder choices Phillips made was designing the school exclusively for girls. Far from being a limitation, she argues it is one of the school’s greatest strengths — and the research backs her up.
Analysis by the FFT Datalab confirmed all-girls students in England do better in exams as opposed to those in mixed-gender institutions, even for boys in single-gender schools as well. Other studies, such as one published by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, found similar results. Their investigation also found that students who graduated from all-girls institutions had higher rates of academic engagement and confidence.
Armed with that evidence, Phillips is bringing this proven model to a community that needs it most. North Omaha has long faced educational inequities, and Identity Prep is positioned to directly address that gap by giving tween girls an environment where they are the priority — not an afterthought.
The Sankofa Symbol: Rooting Identity Prep in African Heritage and Community Pride
Beyond academics, Identity Prep embraces a deep cultural identity that is woven into every aspect of the school. Central to that identity is the Sankofa symbol — an emblem with profound meaning that connects the school’s mission to African heritage.
At Identity Preparatory Academy, Sankofa is more than just a symbol; it represents the school’s commitment to helping students understand and appreciate their history as a foundation for knowing who they are, the beauty of their community, and how to build a bright and successful future. Through this symbol, students are encouraged to honor their past, embrace its lessons, and use that knowledge to inform their journey forward.
From the Twi language of Ghana, Sankofa means “to go back and get.” For Identity Prep, that principle becomes a daily practice — reminding girls that knowing where they come from is inseparable from knowing where they are going. It is a powerful message to carry through middle school, arguably the most formative years of a young girl’s life.
North Omaha Community Members Step Up as Educators and Champions of Change
Identity Prep’s roots in the neighborhood go beyond its physical location. Ingrained in the neighborhood, community members have stepped up to serve as educators at this trailblazing school. With its vision centered on affirming and nurturing young girls to become future leaders, Identity Prep has high hopes once classes are in session.
Community voices have been loud and clear in their support. One parent captured what many are feeling: “This school can be a life-changing pivotal change as middle school is a vital time in a child’s life. Currently I see a downhill spiral with education of students in North Omaha. With the current state of everything, to have an actual school and not just programs could truly make a difference.”
Dr. Phillips champions the importance of harnessing the power of community to collectively offer a high-quality, culturally grounded education for youth. That philosophy is not just talk — it is evident in every layer of how Identity Prep was conceived, designed, and built.
What’s Next for Identity Preparatory Academy and the Girls of North Omaha
As opening day draws closer, the excitement is building. Once the new school year begins, educators will work to ensure their learning space fosters confidence, creativity, and academic achievement. The goal is not just to open a school — it is to open a new chapter for girls in North Omaha who deserve more than the status quo.
Identity Preparatory Academy is a middle school dedicated to providing an academically rigorous and culturally affirming education for girls in grades 4–8 in the North Omaha community. The academy focuses on nurturing the identity, leadership, and voice of its students while fostering a supportive and empowering learning environment.
For Dr. DerNecia Phillips, this is the culmination of twenty years in classrooms, principal offices, and community spaces. She built this school because she believed the girls of North Omaha deserved it. Now, finally, they are going to get it.
