Whether you’re a family just discovering us or a current IA family looking for the perfect post to share with a curious friend, this one’s for you. At Innovations Academy, a tuition-free K-8 public school in San Diego, families often have the same great questions when they first learn about us. Here are the answers.
What is Innovations Academy?
We’re a tuition-free K-8 public charter school in San Diego, founded in 2008 on a simple but powerful belief: children learn best when they’re engaged, respected, and given real choices in their own learning. Everything about our program, from our curriculum to our campus, reflects that belief.
Is it really free?
Yes! As a public charter school, Innovations Academy is funded like other public schools, so there’s no tuition. It’s private school quality at the public school price.
What makes the curriculum different?
We use a non-textbook, project-based learning program built on inquiry. Instead of memorizing facts from a worksheet, students investigate real questions, build things, and develop their own voice as learners. It’s rigorous, but it’s also joyful. As we like to say, we teach kids how to think, not what to think.
Do students get homework?
Meaningful family time matters to us, so we don’t assign homework for the sake of it. Learning happens during the school day, which means evenings are free for family, rest, and play. If you would like to read more about the disadvantages of homework in a K-8 school, see Alfie Kohn’s book, “The Homework Myth.”
What’s middle school like at IA?
Far from a pitstop to survive, 6th-8th grade at Innovations Academy is engaging and challenging. Middle schoolers tackle real-world projects and take their learning on unforgettable field trips like trying out jobs at Finance Park and visiting multiple national parks. Students gain independence through a student-run café, electives, and team-building sessions. Our 8th graders carry an average 3.5 GPA on so they can be successful in high school and beyond.
What about social-emotional learning?
SEL isn’t a separate subject at IA, it’s woven into every day through morning meetings, class council, and a positive discipline approach. Students learn conflict resolution, personal responsibility, and how to communicate with confidence and compassion, skills that become especially important as they navigate the social dynamics of middle school.
What enrichment programs do you offer?
Beyond core academics, students explore performing arts, fine art, ceramics, engineering, nature studies, and Spanish. Add in our nature-based playground, field trips, and two school-wide Exhibition Nights where students showcase their work, and you’ll see why our campus feels like an adventure at every grade level.
How big is the school, really?
Small, and intentionally so. With around 450 students across K-8, teachers and staff know every child by name. That closeness lets us adapt to each student’s curiosities and needs, from kindergarten all the way through 8th grade.
What scheduling options are available?
Families can choose a 2, 3, or 5-day-per-week program, whichever fits their family’s rhythm best.
How do I learn more?
Come see it for yourself. Join us for a tour- we hold them weekly on Thursdays! There’s no better way to understand how learning best occurs here than to see it firsthand.
Have a question we didn’t cover? Contact us (phone, email or even fax!), we’re always happy to talk about what makes Innovations Academy great.
Curious about enrolling? Here’s the basics or head straight to our enrollment page, we have space in select grades.
About Innovations Academy:
Innovations Academy is a tuition-free public charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in San Diego, California. Our small school values a hands-on, inquiry-based education with high academic standards using self-expression, compassionate connection, and purposeful learning. Our new modern campus is intentionally designed with curiosity and exploration in mind. Join our innovative school today! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Find us at innovationsacademy.org.