“It grew quickly and we built the Minds in Motion building in 2003-2004, and then purchased a former church in 2006,” stated business director Tricia Fote. “Impact Point, our arts and fitness facility, was completed in 2014. Today, we have over 250 students.”
The private, independent school owns five-acres that houses the Lower School (formerly Minds in Motion), The Upper School and Impact Point.
The next big growth spurt will happen this fall, as school staff welcomes its first high school students. The Academy Upper School currently has seven students enrolled, with many more expected to sign up.
The Academy is one of very few private, independent schools servings students through high school in the Dayton area.
“It feels great to look back at the kids’ lives that we did touch, but I thought that eighth grade just wasn’t enough,” said founder Gina Pangalangan. “There’s still so much for them to learn, the adolescent brain is still developing, and there’s a lot of emotional pressure on teens who need guidance in a nurturing environment.”
The mission of the new high school is predicated on a new super-school program called the XQ Project. The educational approach will be based on B-R-I-G-H-T: brain science, real-world activated, individualized, goal focused, happy/healthy/holistic and team sourced.
“The traditional high school setting hasn’t changed, and thus [American] students are falling behind academically on the world stage,” said Fote. “We need innovative classrooms that are in line with 21st century learning to prepare our students for the careers of the future. Our unique, differentiated approach develops leaders, lifelong learners and lasting skills for the real world.”
The Academy is located at 11 Sycamore Creek Drive in Springboro. Applications are now being accepted on The Academy's website, www.AcademyMustangs.com.
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