Global Learning Academy
Elementary School
Military Families
Global Learning Academy is a Pre-K through 5th grade public school eager to serve students in our military community. Prospective families are invited to visit and experience the enriching, safe, and inclusive learning environment GLA has to offer. Principal Lalla Pierce is the proud sister and mother-in-law of United States Marines. Assistant Principal Michel Henry-Slater is the wife of a Retired U. S. Navy and U. S. Army Combat Veteran, and the proud mother of an Army Soldier. Email them to set up a tour of Global Learning Academy!
Ms. Kim Adams
Kadams4@ecsdfl.us
Our MPOC is available to assist military families with student enrollment, records transfer, accessing services for students with disabilities, and accessing school- and community-based resources that are available in the district for military students and their families. Ms. Adams will also introduce your child(ren) to our Student Leader for Military Family Transition.
School Administrators:
Lalla Pierce, Principal
lpierce1@ecsdfl.us
Michel Henry-Slater, Assistant Principal
MHenry-slater@ecsdfl.us
New to the area? Have questions about registering your child for school, or what documentation is needed for registration? Click here to visit our ECPS Enrollment Services department for this information, as well as the current Student Progression Plans.
- Self-contained ESE prekindergarten;
- Full Inclusion classrooms wherein students learn alongside their peers while ESE-certified teachers and paraprofessionals provide specialized instruction, modifications, and accommodations in keeping with students’ individualized education plans (IEP’s);
- Adaptive physical education as required by the IEP;
- Visiting occupational therapist and physical therapists as required by the IEP;
- Self-contained classes for students with varying exceptionalities;
- Speech and language services;
- Program for Academically Talented (gifted) Students
Click to visit the ECPS Exceptional Student Education department.
Sondra Hill, Program Director
shill@ecsdfl.us • 850-429-2977
Academic Services
- Pre-kindergarten
- Science Lab and Greenhouse classes for grades K-5
- STEM Club
- Pensacola Mess Hall after-school program
- Multi-tiered support system for students struggling with academics;
- Battle of the Books Club
- Y-Reads reading tutoring partnership with the YMCA
- Free Tutoring for Military Families/Students
Please inquire with our staff for information about these resources.
Escambia County Public Schools Military Services and Information
Escambia County Public Schools proudly supports military students and families with resources for transition planning, academic planning, and exceptional student education services. Please visit the ECPS Military Families page for additional resources and information.
Educational Opportunities for Military Families
GLA offers a variety of experiences and supports for military families and their students. In addition to Florida Standards and Escambia County Public Schools curriculum, Global Learning Academy offers the following unique opportunities:
- Common Sense Media School
- Earning the Common Sense School badge is a symbol of our school's dedication and commitment to helping students think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate. Global Learning Academy is proud to be Escambia County Public School District's FIRST school to earn the Common Sense Media designation.
- Continent Theme for each grade level
- When three downtown schools closed to build a new, LEED certified, state of the art school, the idea of a Global community coming together was born. Each grade level, Pre-K-5th, is assigned a continent that contributes to the relevant learning for that grade level. The idea is that by the time a student leaves Global Learning Academy, they will have traveled the world.
- Science and Environmental emphases
- Greenhouse, Watershed Restoration Boardwalk, Science Lab (All classes K-5 go to the science lab once a week.)
- LEED Certified Building
- To achieve LEED certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. Global Learning Academy is proud to be a GOLD certified LEED building.
Opportunities for Military Volunteers
- Classroom Volunteer
- 1:1 Student Mentor (1 hour per week)
- Science Lab Volunteer
- Greenhouse Volunteer
- Media Center Volunteer
ReadyKids FL Reading PALS Program
To volunteer, contact: Mrs. Slater at mhenry-slater@ecsdfl.us
The Joint Military Council for Education Excellence was established as a partnership between the Escambia County School District and Naval Air Station Pensacola in the Spring of 2020. Its mission is: Improving educational services and communication between the Escambia County School District and military families.
The Military Council convenes quarterly to address topics of mutual interest and to solicit input from community stakeholders, including military families.
NAS Pensacola Fleet &Family Support Center
Military One Source connects you to programs, services and products developed for military life. Turn to Military OneSource for tax services, spouse employment help, webinars and online training, relocation and deployment tools, and much more.
Military One Source also has a link to a tutoring service designed specifically for military students.
Military Child Education Coalition
The Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission has a specific section for parents with resources detailing the role of the School Liaison as well as helpful articles on helping military children change schools and cope with moving, among others. They also have a section on supporting military families with special medical or educational needs.
The ASVAB CEP offers students a chance to explore all paths to careers - college, certifications, apprenticeships, licensure programs, and the Military - in one place. Contact your school counselor to find out when the ASVAB CEP is coming to your school.
Military Kids Connect is an online community for military children ages 6-17, and provides access to age-appropriate resources to support children dealing with the unique psychological challenges of military life. MKC offers informative activities, helpful videos, and an online community that can build and reinforce understanding, resilience, and coping skills in military children and their peers. Today's military kids grow up in a world where they face unique challenges such as multiple deployments of important family members and frequent moves to new schools and neighborhoods. They need a unique set of skills to draw on to get through long and often difficult separations and situations.
Pear Deck Tutor (formerly TutorMe) is an online service that provides one-on-one, on-demand, live homework and writing support in certain subject areas.
The Purple Star School of Distinction Designation recognizes Global Learning Academy as we support the unique needs of military families, help military-connected students navigate critical challenges and provide resources for military-connected students when transitioning to a new school environment.
Student Leader for Military Family Transition
Meet Vinson
Vinson is ready to be your military child’s first friend and “travel buddy” at Global Learning Academy. He will show your child(ren) around the school and help them to settle in. Current students of military families, like Vinson and other Global Ambassador Students, offer friendship, support, and practical tips on being a successful Global Learning Academy Explorer--with the support of our Guidance Counselor.
Valentines for Vets: Feb 2025
NAS Pensacola partnership for flag training: Friday, Mar 22
"GLA Honors Military Veterans" hallway display
"Month of the Military Child" wear purple on Fridays
NAS Pensacola Fleet and Family Support Center
Let’s Talk: Youth, Mental Health, and TRICARE by TRICARE Communications
Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services Fact Sheet
School-based mental health services:
- School-based Mental Health counseling is provided/overseen by a Licensed Mental Health provider housed at Global Learning Academy..
- Referral to school-based Lakeview Overlay Counseling
- Navigator Social Work services (assistance with needs such as clothing, counseling, dental, food, medical, transportation, shelter, utilities)
- Counseling services are provided by the GLA school counselor. The school counselor assists students with improving academic performance and an overall sense of well-being.
- Mobile Response Team provides intervention and support to all individuals dealing with behavioral or mental health crises. Mobile Response Team Brochure
About the Military & Family Life Counseling (MFLC) Program
Global Learning Academy is honor military-connected students. MFLCs support military families through the unique challenges of military life, including cycles of deployment and reintegration, by providing non-medical, short-term counseling. Through a partnership between the school district, the installation and the office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, counselors will be assigned to various schools during the school year.
What is the counselor’s role in the school?
MFLCs provide consultation, training, and educational presentations/workshops to program faculty, staff, parents, and children. MFLC support augments services already in place at each school. Counselors take part in everyday school activities and events. They are available to support in areas related to deployment and reintegration; family dynamics; positive coping mechanisms; staff support and education; parent education and stress reduction. Counselors are also available to facilitate groups and trainings to build leadership skills; manage anger; build self-esteem and confidence and strengthen communication.
Counselors are selected for their demonstrated expertise and training and are under the management of the office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy. Counselors hold a master’s or doctoral degree, are independently licensed and have experience working with children and youth. Counselors go through rigorous background checks before being placed in schools.
Why are the counselors in certain schools and not others?
Schools were selected by the Service Branch to receive MFLCs based on the number of military connected students attending each school. Military families who have students in schools without counselors can typically receive the same support through the installation’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, Fleet and Family Services or the A&FRC.
Do counselors keep records about students and families?
No. Services provided by counselors are private and confidential with the exception of mandatory federal and military reporting requirements (i.e., child abuse, domestic violence and other life-threatening situations). No counseling records are maintained.
The official flower of the military child is the dandelion. Why?
The plant puts down roots almost anywhere, and it's almost impossible to destroy. It's an unpretentious plant, yet good looking. It's a survivor in a broad range of climates.
Military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them. They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military, planted swiftly and surely. They're ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.
Experts say military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant, and extremely resilient. Military children have learned from an early age that home is where their hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world, and that education doesn't only come from school. They live history. They learn that to survive means to adapt, that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences
(Military Child Education Coalition, 2017).