How do children learn best? At Innovations Academy, a tuition-free K-8 public school in San Diego, we’ve spent almost two decades collecting ideas about this, folding them thoughtfully into our mission, vision, and curriculum. Now settled into our beautiful Kearny Mesa campus, it feels like the right time to revisit — and expand on — how we think children learn best.
Learning at Its Best
At Innovations Academy, we powerfully create our lives through self-expression, compassionate connection, and purposeful learning. Through this mission, students feel cared for and through that caring, they feel encouraged to explore and learn. Academic excellence is achieved when children are supported to question and search for answers among students and teachers that they have built trust with, and we inspire every member of our community to live this mission each day.
We believe learning best occurs when:
There’s freedom of choice through a diverse curriculum, allowing students to follow their passions while meeting high academic standards. Theatre? Sure! Socratic Seminars? Let’s go! Ceramics fired in our own on-campus kiln? Certainly. Our Explorations program also includes performing arts, 2D and 3D fine art, engineering and robotics, nature studies, and Spanish — with Environmental Science continuing into middle school.
Students use a constructivist learning approach, collaborating to learn subject matter. Students learn in multi-age groups where they contribute knowledge to each other and grow socially by interacting with peers of different ages.
Various learning modalities are integrated into daily teaching. Whether a student is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner, we value inquiry-based project learning, focusing on the process of discovery. Our hands-on, inquiry-based approach ensures every child can access and engage with the material meaningfully.
There’s no homework — but lots of room to play and engage in the classroom, performing arts center, art studios, and out in our nature-based “backyard,” complete with shady trees, climbing structures, and sport courts. And then there is time after school for students to explore their interests, take classes, adventure in their neighborhood and play.
Intellectual, social, emotional, and physical components are integrated into the learning experience. At Innovations Academy, we offer a social emotional program that teaches exceptional communication skills. We teach social skills, self-regulation, mindfulness, growth mindset, empathy and compassion to all students. We offer a Solution Center, a counseling resource that gives students another trusted space to work through big feelings and build self-regulation skills, alongside classroom tools like the Wheel of Choice, morning meetings, and class council.
There’s strong family involvement in the educational process — parents, students, and teachers collaborating as an educational team.
Class sizes stay small within a small school setting. Research consistently shows small class size has the largest impact in the early grades, and it’s a big reason no student here is ever just a number.
Students receive personal attention, both academically and personally. Every child is known by name, not just by their teacher but by staff across campus. Teachers get to know each student’s strengths, interests, and areas for growth, and that knowledge shows up in Student-Led Conferences and Presentations of Learning, where students — not test scores — speak to their own progress.
The learning environment is safe and supportive. Our positive discipline approach treats children with respect while inviting them to problem-solve, and it’s part of why Innovations Academy has been named a California Distinguished School. Children learn best not through rewards and punishments, but through respectful relationships and real opportunities to practice responsibility. There’s no shame, no blame, and no punitive time-outs. Instead, students are invited to understand why their choices matter and given the tools to make better ones.
Technology is thoughtfully integrated into the curriculum to support instruction, assessment, project development, and communication with families.
Reading and literacy are a whole-school effort. Building on the success of our “One School, One Genre” literacy campaign, our students, teachers, and families come together around books all year long — through author studies, our annual Book Fair, and a shared love of story that builds lifelong readers.
Perhaps most importantly, we connect learning to students’ personal experiences and give them purpose in their community. Whether it’s a class studying storm drains and trash near campus or presenting research to local businesses, when children see how their education makes a real difference in their daily lives and local community, their motivation and engagement soar. It’s part of why our 8th graders graduate ready for the rigor of high school, averaging a 3.5 GPA as they head off to a range of San Diego high schools. This is learning that sticks — learning that transforms.
FAQ: How Learning Best Occurs at Innovations Academy
What does “how learning best occurs” mean at Innovations Academy? It’s our philosophy that children learn most deeply when they have choice, hands-on exploration, strong relationships, and a genuine connection to their community — not when they’re memorizing for a test.
Is Innovations Academy really tuition-free? Yes. As a public charter school, Innovations Academy is funded like other public schools, so there’s no tuition. Families get a private-school-quality experience at the public school price.
Does Innovations Academy give homework? No traditional, meaningless worksheets or packets go home. We believe evenings are for family time, reading for pleasure, and following curiosity, not busywork.
How does Innovations Academy support the whole child, not just academics? Through daily morning meetings, class council, positive discipline, and our Solution Center counseling support, students build self-regulation, empathy, and conflict-resolution skills alongside their academics.
What ages does Innovations Academy serve? We serve kindergarten through 8th grade, with flexible scheduling options of 2, 3, or 5 days per week.
How can I learn more or get involved? Reach out through our website at innovationsacademy.org or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for a regular look at how learning best occurs at IA.
Curious how learning looks day to day in-person? Come see student work for yourself at our next Exhibition Night. Or schedule a tour! There’s no better way to understand how learning best occurs here than to see it firsthand.
Give your child the best learning experience you can -tuition-free- and contact Innovations Academy to ask a question, take a tour, or enroll at our tuition-free K-8 school.
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.