Charter school offers well-rounded approach to education
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In 2008, a group of educators from Buckeye wanted to find a way to provide a more innovative and enriching education to students in the West Valley.
Inspired by this goal, the group opened The Odyssey Preparatory Academy in a local strip mall. Around 400 students in kindergarten through sixth grade enrolled in the charter school.
As Director of Human Resources and Communications Stephanie Crawford Hiatt noted, while The Odyssey Preparatory Academy, Family of Schools has grown and flourished since its humble beginnings, the school’s dedication to providing a well-rounded education that focuses on critical thinking skills is as strong as ever.
“In the fall of 2010, we opened up the Odyssey Buckeye Apache campus with 600 scholars. In 2011 we opened the Odyssey Goodyear campus, followed by the opening of the Odyssey Institute for Advanced and International Studies for junior high and high school in 2012,” Hiatt said, adding that in the 2016-17 school year, the Sienna Hills elementary school campus and the junior high campus were officially opened.
“Today, the Odyssey Family of Schools consists of five campuses educating approximately 3,400 scholars from kindergarten through 12th grade.”
As Hiatt noted, the mission of the school is to provide a “meaningful, thought-provoking curriculum” that crosses over subjects and stimulates critical thinking needed for the future world.
“The junior high and high school is an International Baccalaureate World School, and they incorporate the program into their curriculum at all grades,” she said.
“The IB programs enable teachers to develop resilient, self-motivated young people who have the knowledge, skills, and sense of purpose. Scholars succeed as they take ownership of their own learning and develop skills to thrive in upper education or whatever path they choose to take.”
No matter which grade they are in or what subject they are learning, Hiatt said the staff at The Odyssey Preparatory Academy, Family of Schools strives to teach students to explore ideas and critically analyze them.
“We also believe that a graduate that is well rounded in core subjects, as well as art and foreign language, will be more prepared to meet the challenges of the world, no matter if they are headed to college, the military or trade school,” she said.
While the charter school is a K-12 continuum, which means students can effortlessly transition from elementary school to middle school and then high school, Hiatt said new students from all grade levels are welcome to enroll at any time.
“Odyssey desires to meet children wherever they are and bring out undiscovered curiosity and learning potential,” she said.
The Odyssey Preparatory Academy is open for enrollment for grades kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information about The Odyssey Preparatory Academy, Family of Schools, or to arrange for a tour, email communications@topamail.com or visit odyprep.com.