AES Literacy2019
AES Literacy Institute Is Founded
Jermaine and ShaKimberly Cooper establish AES to help community members build pathways through education, opportunity, and practical support.
Our Impact
Education That Opens Doors. A Legacy That Moves People Forward.
A Proven Foundation since 2019
Founded by Jermaine and ShaKimberly Cooper, AES Literacy Institute has helped people return to education, earn their GED, and move toward college, trade school, and meaningful work. Our history is built on practical support, community trust, and the belief that one educational milestone can change a family’s future.
Today, that legacy powers our next chapter: ESB Certification pathways for youth and adults.
Our Legacy, Measured
GED Graduates
0
Students Served
0
College & Trade Transitions
0
Instructional Hours
0
+
AES’s reported lifetime education outcomes, presented October 2025. Service figures reflect their reported program scope and may include people participating in more than one service.
The Legacy behind Our Next Chapter
Senior Recall: GED Milestones
Our signature high school equivalency work helped learners prepare for the GED exam, build academic confidence, and celebrate graduation. Personalized learning, tutoring, exam support, mentorship, and practical resources helped participants stay connected to their goals.
AES treated graduation as the beginning of a new opportunity: a doorway to further education, training, and work.
College & Career Choices
AES helped learners navigate college and trade-school enrollment, financial-aid and FAFSA processes, career exploration, and decisions about their next credential or occupation.
Our reported 116 college and trade-school transitions capture an important part of that legacy: helping people take a concrete step beyond earning their diploma.
The People behind the Progress
Real AES graduation milestones, award moments, and community experiences tell the story behind our numbers. We celebrate the persistence of our learners and the people who made their next steps possible.
Recognition That Reflects the Work
2020
The Dallas Foundation Recognizes AES
A $10,000 Pegasus Prize grant supports AES’s educational work as learning and tutoring move online during the pandemic.
2022
Social Innovator of the Year
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas names AES Social Innovator of the Year. AES also earns the Innovation and Presentation awards, receiving $105,000 in total prize and accelerator funding.
2024
Camelback Fellowship
Executive Director ShaKimberly Cooper joins the 2024 Camelback Fellowship, strengthening leadership, innovation, and AES’s capacity for growth.
Summer 2024
Rally Social Enterprise Accelerator
ShaKimberly Cooper participates in Rally’s Summer 2024 fellowship, bringing a social-enterprise approach to community opportunity.
2024
SMU Texas Impact Enterprise Awards
AES receives official nominee recognition through SMU’s Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity and the Inclusive Economy Consortium.
2024–2026
NBA Foundation Grant Partnership
A documented $50,000, two-year NBA Foundation award supports capacity building and educational opportunity for Black youth in the Dallas Mavericks market.
2025–2028
United Way Community Impact Partnership
AES receives a three-year Community Impact Grant award of $55,000 annually. United Way confirms continued $55,000 funding for July 2026–June 2027.
A Closer Look: a Funded GED Cohort
In the 2024 Dollar General Literacy Foundation–supported cohort, AES served 20 learners, provided 1,445 instructional hours, and reported 18 high school equivalency earners—a 90% graduation rate. These results were submitted in the program’s April 2025 year-end impact report.
That report describes the combination behind the results: personalized learning plans, GED Ready assessments, weekly academic advising, tutoring, progress reviews, and support for the next step after graduation.
Partners Who Have Invested in Opportunity
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the NBA Foundation are highlight supporters in AES’s history. Wells Fargo Foundation, The Dallas Foundation, Dollar General Literacy Foundation, and Camelback Ventures have also helped strengthen our work through philanthropic support, learning, or leadership development.
These relationships have supported education access, community resources, financial understanding, and the organizational capacity behind lasting service.
Building on What Works
The ESB flagship builds on the same practical commitment that shaped our GED and college-access legacy: clear goals, relevant learning, consistent support, and an achievable next step.
With distinct Youth and Adult pathways, AES will follow participation, completion, exam participation, credentials earned, and next steps in education, work, or business planning.
How We Report Our Impact
Cumulative education figures reflect AES’s reported lifetime outcomes in its October 2025 community presentation. The 2024 funded-cohort results are shown separately from the submitted year-end report. Award amounts and grant periods follow the applicable recognition announcements and award letters.
Public recognition resources: United Way’s 2022 Awards · Camelback 2024 Fellow Profile · Rally Summer 2024 Fellows · The Dallas Foundation’s 2020 Announcement · NBA Foundation Partner Directory