Building the School She Could Not Find 

We are proud to share April 2026’s Friends and Family Fund Grant Winner: Muriel Robergeau-Charles, founder of Petite École Academy, a bilingual early childhood education center designed to prepare young learners for both academic success and global citizenship.

Every month, Sky’s the Limit invests $2,500 in early stage entrepreneurs through the Friends and Family Fund. These grants support founders who turn lived experience into solutions that strengthen families, communities, and future generations.

Muriel’s journey began with a simple search.

She was just trying to find the right school for her children.

Muriel Robergeau-Charles is an educator, mother, and founder driven by a deeply personal mission.

Originally from Haiti and now living in the United States for over two decades, Muriel wanted her children to stay connected to their language and culture. When she began searching for a French learning environment, she discovered something unexpected.

The options were limited, especially for young children before elementary school.

That moment led her into the world of dual language immersion education. She returned to school, became a certified educator, and began teaching in French immersion classrooms.

What she witnessed changed everything.

Children were not just learning a language. They were absorbing it naturally, building confidence, and developing skills that extended far beyond academics.

 The earlier children learn, the stronger they grow  

The Need for Something Better  

Through her teaching experience in kindergarten and second grade, Muriel saw firsthand how powerful early language exposure can be.

But she also saw the gap.

Many children were entering school without access to bilingual learning during their most formative years. Families like hers were looking for options that simply did not exist.

Muriel realized that waiting until elementary school was already too late for many.

So she decided to build what she could not find.

The Beginning Of Petite École Academy  

Petite École Academy is designed to provide high-quality bilingual education in both French and English within a nurturing and academically strong environment.

The goal is not only to prepare children for kindergarten, but to prepare them for the world.

Research shows that early language immersion strengthens cognitive flexibility, literacy development, executive functioning, and cultural awareness. Muriel’s academy brings these benefits together in a space where children feel supported, confident, and curious.

Her approach combines:

• Strong academic foundations
• Cultural inclusion
• Emotional support
• Individualized learning experiences

This is more than a school. It is a foundation for lifelong growth.

 "I lost $10,000 on a mentor, but I did not give up".   

A Journey Built on Persistence

Muriel’s path to building Petite École Academy was not easy.

At one point, she invested $10,000 into a business consultant who failed to deliver any meaningful progress. Months passed with no results, and the investment was lost.

For many, that would have been the end.

For Muriel, it became a turning point.

She chose to keep going. She took time away from work, committed herself fully to learning, and joined Sky’s the Limit Launchpad to understand how to build her business the right way.

With mentorship, feedback, and persistence, she refined her pitch, clarified her vision, and continued moving forward.

Why the Friends and Family Fund Matters

The April Friends and Family Fund Grant supports Muriel as she works toward launching Petite École Academy for the upcoming school year.

This funding helps her move from vision to reality by supporting the foundational steps required to open a high-quality early learning center.

More importantly, it supports families who are searching for the same opportunity Muriel once sought.

The Winning Moment

Muriel Robergeau-Charles was awarded the April 2026 Friends and Family Fund Grant after winning the live pitch competition.

Each month, the two most boosted pitches on the Sky’s the Limit platform, along with one wildcard, advance to compete live. Muriel stood out through her clarity of purpose, her resilience, and her commitment to building something that directly serves families like her own.

Her story is not just about education.

It is about access, identity, and opportunity.

What’s Next for Muriel and Petite École Academy?

Winning came as a surprise for Muriel, who shared she didn’t expect to be selected and was already thinking about how to improve for next time. Now, she is focused on building her vision of supporting families and creating more bilingual children, starting in her local community and growing into more schools over time. Drawing from her journey in education and the feedback she received through Sky’s The Limit, Muriel plans to continue asking questions, taking advice, and refining her approach as she moves forward. 

With support from the $2,500 Friends and Family Fund, Muriel is bringing her vision to life—setting up her classroom, creating bilingual learning resources, securing her licensing, and enrolling her first students as she prepares to launch.

About the Friends and Family Fund

The Friends and Family Fund provides early stage capital of up to $2,500 each month to underrepresented entrepreneurs launching impactful ideas. Through Sky’s the Limit’s community powered process, more than $600,000 has been awarded to founders building stronger futures.

Each grant represents belief in both the founder and the families they serve.

Want to Support Founders Like Muriel?

Whether you are a donor, mentor, or partner, your support helps create learning environments where children can grow with confidence, culture, and opportunity from the very beginning.

Sky’s the Limit exists so that powerful ideas rooted in lived experience become real solutions for communities.

👉 Join Sky’s the Limit and help shape the future of education.