Ignite Learning Academy

My son has attended ILA for four years now. He has thrived in online learning. Middle school has been a nice balance of live teachers, class meetings with peers and independent work. He likes the predictable format of the lessons and the flexibility of the work load. His teachers are kind and personable and strive to engage the students. My son feels accepted by his classmates and has more confidence in school than ever. ILA tries to build student connections by offering clubs and other social events and activities. I was very hesitant to pull my child out of public school years ago and try online learning! Best decisions we have made!

I have 3 children enrolled with ILA and they love their teachers and class so much ! And I love how caring and kind this school is to me and my children. I highly recommend this amazing school !

Ignite Learning Academy has been such a blessing to our family! Our daughter attends the SPARK self-contained gifted program. We love how the curriculum is student-paced, and to a certain extent- student led. Each semester our daughter can pick a "passion-project"- and she absolutely loves being able to focus on her special interests! Every educator is committed to each child's success. It is truly an individualized experience. We initially had our concerns about being in a fully online environment- but the social engagement has blown our expectations away! We highly recommend Ignite Learning Academy!

As we were thinking of moving our daughter from public school to virtual school almost 2 years ago, we were overwhelmed by the number of choices. Wanting the best for our daughter, we did a lot of research and talked to several schools, but we kept coming back to ILA. We took the leap of faith and we are so happy that we did! Our daughter has grown so much over the past 2 years, not only academically, but as a whole person. She has become so much more independent in doing her schoolwork. The various school clubs have expanded her horizons and she has made new friends from all over. Differences are accepted at ILA. We have watched students, whether very advanced or with unique challenges, be encouraged and applauded for their successes both in school and in life. Academically, the curriculum is challenging, but the focus is on letting the child learn at their pace, in their way, and giving them the tools and support they need to succeed. Our daughter, and we as parents, always know that if we have a question or concern, we can speak directly with a teacher or administrator. Last year, halfway through the year, administration reached out to us to suggest that our daughter might benefit from a more advanced curriculum for math. We would not have realized on our own that she wasn't being challenged enough and this change made a world of difference. All of the teachers our daughter has had have been wonderful. They are always open to questions either in live class, via email or chat, or one-on-one in office hours. As great as the academics and teachers are, the whole sense of community at ILA is just as important to us. At ILA, the clubs, special events and activities, counselor sessions, and homerooms provide opportunities for our daughter to feel a part of something. Recently I heard her tell one of her teachers that "ILA is like a family" and we agree with her. We wholeheartedly recommend ILA for any parent seeking a more complete educational experience for their child.

We absolutely love ILA. My daughter has been at Ignite for 2 years, and we will be returning in Fall for her third. From the moment we started the enrollment process, everything has been a breeze. All of the staff are wonderful. The teachers have been amazing, and you can tell they actually love their jobs and their students. Because of the small classes, they can really get to know your kids on a personal level, and create strong bonds with them. The curriculum is very easy to understand and to teach. Compared to public schools in my area, this curriculum is definitely advanced academically. My daughter has consistently tested above grade level on the STAR tests each year, and we aren't doing anything extra aside from the daily work assigned, so that says A LOT! As far as coursework, the workload is very grade/age appropriate, and nothing overwhelming. My daughter is in elementary, and we spend about 2 hours each day on course work. Even though everything is virtual, my daughter has been able to connect with many other students, and engage with them even outside of school time. It's also great that the students have a bunch of clubs to participate in. My daughter hopped around a few them this last school year. She got to dive deep and explore new interests, like Minecraft, Lego, coding and art club. We also travel a lot through out the year. It's nice to be able to work ahead or even take a day or two off school when needed. Long story short, ILA offers everything it says it does and more!

We travel a lot and we were searching for a good online school for our 11 years old son. I am so happy to have found ILA two years ago! Our son just loves the live classes and above all the SPARK program. Yes, the time difference might be an issue when you are in Europe as live classes are in the afternoon and some electives late in the night, but ILA teachers are extremely accomodating and they even met in one-to-one with my son at an earlier hour. In fact the true strenght of ILA are its teachers. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants a flexible, engaging and differentiated online school.

Ignite Learning Academy is a school of teachers and administrative personnel that care about the success of the students. Communication is top notch with everyone from the teachers to the director herself. Teachers check in frequently to ensure the needs of the students are being met. As a parent, I love that the curriculum is tailored to the needs of my children. They are allowed to explore their interests without limit, and take extra time in areas where it is needed. Although an online school, Ignite Learning Academy ensures that social needs are met by offering live classes that encourage group discussion and participation. There are also a myriad of clubs that students can join just for fun. Initially, my children were not fond of the idea of virtual school. They thought they would miss their friends and the feel of live classroom instruction. After a semester at Ignite, they are looking forward to returning next year!

Ignite Learning Academy is a wonderful virtual school that makes you feel like family. The teachers, principal and founder are attentive and kind. The extra curricular classes are phenomenal. Cooking class was the best for our 3rd grader! I can't say enough great things about ILA!

This was the best decision I made for my sons education. He has grown so much since being here! We love the small class sizes and Perosnal attention. My son has an IEP and the teachers have been so Accommodating regarding his disability They have made growing educationally such a joy for him. He loves school again. He is challenged and it’s great to see him grow in every subject. His teachers provide great feedback and help. We love that we have the flexibility to do school when it’s best for our schedule. Ignite makes that possible! We are so happy we made the switch from public school who was failing him to Ignite. So grateful for all the staff!

My daughter, Eliza (7th grade), is completing her second year at Ignite Learning Academy. Ignite has been life-changing for our family! As a gifted learner with anxiety, Eliza’s academic and emotional needs are fully supported by Ignite’s amazing staff who truly understand giftedness in all of its complexity. Ignite offers an ideal combination of live classes, drop-in office hours, and self-guided work. Eliza was placed at her just-right academic level by subject, and she has thrived with deep learning at her own pace with the freedom to further explore topics of interest. The SPARK program offered her the opportunity for intellectual peers, which is supportive of her mental health and sense of belonging. Ignite’s commitment to authentic (vs. performative) learning is reflected in evidence-based policies around retaking tests/assignments, which has reduced Eliza’s test anxiety and helped her focus on content application over rote memorization. The self-guided element of Ignite’s curricula pushed Eliza to develop independent time-management and self-awareness of her own needs as a learner. She can get up to move around or snack when she needs a body/brain break, and she can dive deep into lessons when she’s in the zone; no more following an arbitrary one-size-fits-all schedule! The flexible schedule also allows for whole-life balance. As a family, we can enjoy a relaxed morning routine, participate in occasional late night-activities, and take advantage of special activities or travel without worrying that Eliza will be exhausted or fall behind in school. Eliza’s social, emotional, and academic confidence have improved, both in and out of school. We know she’s finally in the right place, and we’re looking forward to her continued growth and fulfillment at Ignite!