The Desha Academy is an educational support centre based in San Fernando and Marabella, Trinidad and Tobago. Founded by Candace Francis — an educator with over 24 years of experience — The Desha Academy offers small group learning programmes for children ages 3 to 12.

We are built on one belief: that every child deserves to be seen, understood, and empowered. Our programmes go beyond memorisation toward genuine understanding, confidence, and independent thinking — because those are the skills that last long after any exam.

Our mission:

No child leaves our care feeling overlooked, misunderstood, or left behind.

The Desha Academy was founded by Candace Francis, a Trinidad-based educator with over 24 years of experience in primary education. Candace is also the founder of Bold Print Bookshop and the Keevan Harewood Foundation.

Candace built The Desha Academy from lived experience — as an educator who has worked with hundreds of children who struggled quietly, and as a parent who understands what families navigating learning challenges truly need. Every programme at The Desha Academy reflects that depth of experience.

Yes. All regular programmes at the Desha Academy follow the Trinidad and Tobago school term calendar. The Discover and Grow Vacation Camp runs during the July–August school vacation period.

Current intake:

Contact us via WhatsApp at 778-9388 or The Desha Academy to find out when the next term begins.

The Desha Academy currently offers five core programmes:

• Personalised Learning Support — Ages 3 to 12 · 1.5 hours per session · Located in Marabella

• Children's Book Club — Ages 9 to 12 · 1.5 hours per session/month · Carlton Centre, San Fernando

• Homework Centre — Ages 3 to 12 · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes · Carlton Centre, San Fernando

• Chill and Create — Ages 3 to 12 · 3 hours per session · Carlton Centre, San Fernando

• Discover and Grow Vacation Camp — Ages 9 to 12 · 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM daily · Held during school vacation

All sessions are kept small — a maximum of 8 to 10 children per group — so every child receives genuine individual attention.

The Desha Academy serves children from ages 3 to 12 across most programmes.

The Children's Book Club is specifically designed for children ages 9 to 12.

The Vacation Camp is open to children ages 9 to 12.

If you are unsure whether your child's age is a good fit for a particular programme, send us a WhatsApp message at 778-9388 and we will guide you to the right option.

The Personalised Learning Support programme is the core academic support offering at the Desha Academy. It is designed for children ages 3 to 12 who need targeted, individual attention in a small, supportive group environment.

Sessions are 1.5 hours long and cover all subjects in the Trinidad and Tobago primary school curriculum — Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and more — with a strong emphasis on building confidence, critical thinking, and genuine understanding rather than rote memorization.

This programme is held at our Marabella location.

The Children's Book Club is a 1.5-hour reading and discussion programme for children ages 9 to 12, held at Carlton Centre, San Fernando. It is designed for children who are ready to move beyond reading as a skill and into reading as an experience — exploring story, character, theme, and their own responses to what they read.

Books used in the Book Club are curated by Candace Francis and available through Bold Print Bookshop, which serves as the resource hub for all Desha Academy programmes.

Not sure if your child is ready for Book Club? If they can read independently and enjoy stories — they are ready. We meet them exactly where they are.

Chill and Create is a 3-hour creative enrichment programme for children ages 3 to 12, held every Saturday at Carlton Centre, San Fernando. It is designed to give children a structured but relaxed space to explore creativity, expression, and hands-on learning activities outside of the traditional academic setting.

The programme serves two purposes. For children, it is an opportunity to discover and explore creativity, build confidence, and enjoy meaningful learning in a safe, nurturing environment. For parents, it offers reliable Saturday supervision — a trusted, structured space where children are engaged, cared for, and learning while parents attend to errands, appointments, or simply take a well-deserved few hours for themselves.

Because it runs under The Desha Academy banner, parents can leave knowing their child is not just being watched — they are being guided, stimulated, and genuinely looked after by an experienced educator who knows every child by name.

This programme reflects The Desha Academy's belief that learning goes far beyond textbooks — and that children grow most when they are engaged, curious, and enjoying the process. Saturday mornings at Carlton Centre are designed to be exactly that.

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The Homework Centre is a focused, supervised session for children ages 3 to 12 to complete their school homework in a structured, supportive environment. Sessions run from 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes at Carlton Centre, San Fernando.

The Homework Centre is not just a place for children to sit and work — it is a space where children are guided to understand what they are doing, ask questions freely, and build the habit of independent, confident learning.

The Desha Academy covers all subjects included in the Trinidad and Tobago primary school curriculum, including:

• Mathematics

• English Language Arts — Reading, Writing, Comprehension, Grammar

• Science

• Social Studies

• And all other primary curriculum subjects

Beyond curriculum content, every programme at The Desha Academy places strong emphasis on:

• Confidence building

• Critical thinking and problem solving

• Reading Comprehension and a love of reading

• Creative expression

• Independent learning and self-belief

Our approach:

We do not just teach children what to know. We teach them how to think — and that changes everything.

The Desha Academy operates from two locations in Trinidad:

• Marabella — Personalised Learning Support programme

• Carlton Centre, San Fernando — Children's Book Club, Homework Centre, and Chill and Create

• Location to be announced - Discover and Grow Vacation Camp 2026 (July 13 to 31)

For exact addresses and directions, please WhatsApp us at 778-9388 and we will send you all the details you need.

All current Desha Academy programmes are held in person at our San Fernando and Marabella locations. We believe strongly in the value of the in-person learning environment — small groups, real interaction, and a physical space where children feel safe and seen.

If you have a specific situation and would like to discuss options, please reach out to us directly via WhatsApp at 778-9388.

Because we offer several different programmes — each with its own age group, location, session length, and availability — we find it works best to have a conversation with you first before directing you to the right registration link.

Here is how to get started:

The simplest first step is to reach out to us directly. You can do this by visiting the Contact page at thedeshaacademy.com and completing the contact form, or by sending a WhatsApp message to 778-9388. Tell us your child's name, age, and what you are looking for — whether that is academic support, the Book Club, the Homework Centre, Chill and Create, the Vacation Camp, or something you are not quite sure about yet.

Once we understand what your child needs, we will send you the specific registration link for the right programme along with all the details about fees, session times, and availability.

This approach means your child is never enrolled in the wrong programme — and it gives us the chance to answer any questions you have before you commit to anything.

There is no automated system here. When you contact us, you are speaking directly with Candace Francis — the person who will be teaching your child.

The Discover and Grow Vacation Camp 2026 runs Monday July 13 to Friday July 31 from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM daily. The following fee options are available for children ages 9 to 12:

• Full Camp Rate (3 weeks): $800 TTD

• Early Bird Special: $750 TTD — save $50 TTD (limited time offer)

• Sibling Discount: $700 TTD — a further $50 off for additional children enrolled

• Weekly Rate: $300 TTD per week — for families who prefer a flexible option

Spaces are limited. The camp is kept small to ensure every child receives individual attention. To secure your child's place, WhatsApp us at 778-9388 or contact us at The Desha Academy

The Desha Academy deliberately keeps all sessions small — a maximum of 8 to 10 children per group across all programmes. This is not a capacity constraint — it is a philosophy.

Small groups mean every child is known by name, by learning style, by what holds them back and what unlocks them. No child gets lost. No child disappears. Every child is seen — and that is the foundation everything else is built on.

Absolutely — and we encourage it.

Every child is different, and we want to make sure the right programme is the right fit before your child walks through the door.

Send a WhatsApp message to 778-9388 or contact us at The Desha Academy and tell us about your child — their age, what they enjoy, what they find challenging, and what you are hoping for. Candace will respond personally and help you find the right fit.

No pressure and no obligation. Just an honest conversation about your child and whether Desha Academy is the right place for them.

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The Discover and Grow Vacation Camp is The Desha Academy's annual holiday enrichment programme for children ages 9 to 12. The 2026 camp runs Monday July 13 to Friday July 31 from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM daily.

Activities include:

• 📚 Reading and Storytelling — using books from Bold Print Bookshop

• 🧠 Critical Thinking Challenges

• ✍️ Creative Writing and Expression

• 🎨 Arts and Crafts

• 🔬 STEM Exploration

• 🌟 Life Skills Workshop — one per week

• Field Trip Fridays (Separate Cost)

The camp is designed to enrich, inspire, and build confidence — not to replicate school. Children leave having discovered new things about themselves and what they are capable of.

The Discover and Grow Vacation Camp is an intentional enrichment programme, not a supervised holiday. Every activity is designed with a specific developmental purpose — building confidence, encouraging creativity, developing critical thinking, and strengthening the life skills children need beyond the classroom.

Because it is run under The Desha Academy banner, it carries the same philosophy as all our programmes: small groups, individual attention, and a deep commitment to helping every child discover what they are truly capable of. Candace Francis is personally involved in the design and delivery of the camp.

Bold Print Bookshop is both a standalone boutique bookshop and the dedicated resource hub that supports all Desha Academy programmes.

It was founded by Candace Francis as part of the wider Desha Academy ecosystem — the belief that children need the right resources to grow, and that access to the right book at the right moment can change everything.

As a standalone shop, Bold Print Bookshop offers:

• Curated children's novels and storybooks

• Educational resources and learning materials

• Book covering services

As the Desha Academy resource hub, Bold Print Bookshop provides the books and materials used across all programmes — from the Children's Book Club to the Vacation Camp.

Absolutely. Bold Print Bookshop is a fully independent boutique bookshop open to all families in Trinidad and Tobago — not just Desha Academy parents.

Whether you are looking for the right novel for your child's age and reading level, a curated storybook for a gift, educational support materials, or a book covering service — Bold Print Bookshop is open to you. Every book in the collection has been personally chosen by Candace Francis for a specific child in mind.

Not sure which book is right for your child? Send us a message and we will help you find the perfect fit.

Visit Bold Print BookShop – Where Learning Begins.

Bold Print Bookshop is the resource layer of the Desha Academy ecosystem. Every book used in the Children's Book Club, the Homework Centre, the Chill and Create programme, and the Vacation Camp is curated through Bold Print Bookshop — meaning your child's reading materials are chosen with the same intentionality as everything else at The Desha Academy.

When you enrol your child at Desha Academy, you also gain access to Candace's personal book recommendations — matched to your child's age, reading level, interests, and the areas we are building together in sessions. Bold Print Bookshop makes those recommendations available for you to purchase and use at home, extending your child's learning beyond the session.

Think of it this way: Desha Academy builds the learning. Bold Print Bookshop puts the right tools in your child's hands to keep building at home.