It's a community gem tucked away at Orlando's Evans High School.

On this campus, most of the students are from low-income homes. About 85 percent qualify for reduced or free lunch programs. Four years ago, Nancy Ellis was among those brainstorming for change.

"There are a lot of barriers to this," Ellis said. "We have major organizations who are trying to work together to figure this out.”

But as director of the Center for Community Partnerships at UCF, Ellis did help figure it out. Today, students enter The Hub, an open door to Evans Community School. Inside, there are Snax lockers for hungry kids, career center for both students and their parents, plus after school tutoring.

"What we're trying to do is address all the barriers these kids face in trying to get an education and be successful in life and that is our goal," Ellis said. The graduation from high school but lifelong success. That these kids leave with tools they can use in their life.”

Healthcare is no longer a barrier. Students and school staff have access to a clinic with a full-time doctor and two nurses.

The Evans Community School health clinic is taking a huge step this spring. Next to the football field they're going to open a health center. It will have doctors, dentists and most importantly, it will be open to the entire community surrounding Evans High school.

Ellis deflects any credit for Evans Community School to her dean, The Children's Home Society and the school's many other backers.

Others, however, disagree.

"Ms. Ellis, I love to call her the glue," said Jarvis Wheeler, director of Evans Community School. "She's the glue that brings everybody together. She's even set up a community school retreat for us later this month. She's the person who's going to make sure everything is working, everybody is communicating with everybody... and if at any time your morale is low, your morale can never be low around Ms. Ellis.”

 Ellis is focused now on finding stable state funding to keep Evans' progress on track.

"Yes, I'm very proud of what has been accomplished and what will be accomplished," Ellis said. "This is just the beginning.”

Supporters are hoping to create a community school development center based at UCF. The program would use Evans as a model for other community schools across the state and the nation.