All Kids Are First School: The All-Kids-Are-First School now a center of hope for youth

The All Kids Are First Old Schoolhouse is a remnant of the days of segregation, but now a center of hope. It is the first black schoolhouse in Flagler County, Florida, in the town of Espanola. This settlement was originally set up for logging and turpentine production. Back then, two legally separate societies lived. On this score, things have changed for the better. The Schoolhouse was rebuilt by Rev. Frank Giddens of the St. Paul’s Baptist Church, whose vision is to create an academic tutoring program, youth center and summer camp for the town’s disadvantaged youth.

The building has been restored in most essentials by the hard work of Espanola's Rev. Frank Giddens, but still needs substantial work inside to make it a complete place of learning. Space is cramped, and there are no summer programs planned or given for the children there. Their peers elsewhere enjoy theme parks, field trips and other opportunities, transported by school district buses that never reach the small town. The Old Schoolhouse relies in part on the generosity of donors and sponsors who are able to break down economic barriers to help the children of the small, rural town.