โWHERE A PASSION FOR LEARNING COMES TOGETHER IN SOCCER AND EDUCATIONโ
YSC Academyโs tagline Passion for Learning sums up the mindset of everything we do. Walk into YSC Academy and you will notice the school looks and feels different from any other. That is because it was built with the student-athlete in mind, designed to integrate youth soccer development with college-preparatory education. The athletics and academics are aligned at the school to provide student-athletes the opportunity to maximize their potential both on and off the field. At YSC we believe a high school program should be built on the pursuit of life-long learning and should begin with knowing how adolescents learn. Adolescence is at the forefront of everything at YSC Academy. Based on scientific research, we have built a holistic and rigorous educational program that nourishes the biological, physiological, intellectual, socioemotional, and neurological wellbeing of its students. YSC Academy exists first and foremost because its students and all staff members share a common belief in the value of giving the students a โvoice and choiceโ in their education. The school crafts many opportunities for collaboration of all stakeholders; this includes students, staff, and parents all working together to create an educational community that motivates students to learn. YSC Academy is following a Blended Learning model, fusing technology-rich classroom instruction with flexible online classes. The faculty consists of experienced professors and educators who have a passion for learning themselves. These educators teach the four core subjects of English, Mathematics, History, and Science internally. The school invests in longer classroom sessions, carving out a large block of time for deeper learning per subject. Each afternoon the students have the opportunity to take one or more extra-curricular classes from an online curriculum provider tailored to their interests and passions. In this age of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and other online learning resources, the schoolโs stance is a refreshing and realistic glimpse into the future of Blended Learning (or Hybrid Schools), and it stresses the importance of learning independently and being curious oneโs entire life. The school environment was designed with the modern workspace in mind to inspire ideas, collaboration, and increase productivity, thus preparing our students for success in a technology driven 21st century. Most of the schoolโs floor plan is open-air, with break out nooks and study pods creating a setting where students, teachers, coaches, and administrators may formally or informally congregate. The classrooms, library, and study pods are agile and can be reconfigured to engage different kinds of learners and teaching methodologies providing flexibility for exploration and innovation. Class-size is small and instruction focuses on depth of learning and metacognition as well as breadth and content acquisition. The classrooms are centered on students engaging in different kinds of learning from flipped classrooms, lecture-style seminars, and writing workshops to individual and collaborative breakout sessions. With glass-windowed, conference-style classrooms, most of the furniture on wheels, and murals wrapping around the town-hall area depicting quotes and motifs from famous literary, political, and athletic figures, itโs not hard to imagine a place that is embracing where and how students learn and ultimately the work environments they will face in the 21st century. A critical value among the schoolโs philosophy is its emphasis on character education and extended citizenship. Friday mornings are Explore.Share.Now time, a class that focuses students on their passions and their community, and then helps each one to design their own charitable projects to give back through service-learning projects. The projects inspire students to invest time and energy toward using the platform of soccer to inspire others. The program is also an opportunity for the students to develop relationships outside their community through internships and field trips. We know that the world is changing and that it is the students who are changing our world. As an educator and researcher I believe it is incumbent upon us to build schools where students can engage in their own learning process. When students know themselves as learners they are more able to direct their place in the world, discover their passions, and bring confidence to all they do.
