Our Mission:
Partnering with local educators and professionals in their fields,
to provide alternative educational settings that enrich students' senses,
expand their minds, and empower their potentials.
What Is Soaring Minds Education (SME)?
Soaring Minds is a community-centered learning hub where licensed, experienced teachers guide students in both academic and life skills development. We believe learning happens best when it is out in the community, not confined to traditional government classrooms. Students engage in hands-on, experiential learning through real-world projects, apprenticeships, and college pathways in trades and careers. We meet our students at local lakes, museums, parks, the zoo, aquariums, organic farms, and gardens.
From day one, we emphasize social-emotional learning, fostering empathy, resilience, and collaboration alongside academic growth. The curriculum we use blends core academics with practical skills—such as, culinary arts, technology, the arts (music, photography, painting, etc.), applied sciences, and entrepreneurship—so students can explore interests and their natural talents. At the high school level, our students are encouraged to pursue classes at their local community college, trade program, or apprenticeship in order to gain the skills and experience necessary for a successful launch into pursuing their goals after high school.
We connect with local businesses, tradespeople, and colleges to offer apprenticeships and mentorship programs, ensuring students gain both classroom knowledge and industry experience. Outdoor learning spaces, gardens, and community projects are integrated into the schedule, promoting environmental awareness, physical activity, and collaborative learning with like-minded classmates.
Our mission is to prepare graduates who are skilled, confident, and connected—ready to thrive in their chosen careers and as active, engaged citizens.
Who Is Soaring Minds Education (SME)?
The founders of SME grew up in South San Diego and are first generation Americans born to immigrant parents. With their parents' lack of knowledge of the education system in the new country, they both graduated high school with limited outlooks on life: find jobs and make ends meet.
They obtained college degrees and began working with at-risk youth. Meanwhile, they decided they wanted to be more involved in the education of their five children, so they started planning field trips based on their own children's interests and met many other like-minded families. Soon after, field trips turned into regular local collaborations that would enhance their children's education. In 2016, they lined up all the elective activities into weekly 5-hour class days at Balboa Park, and other locations around the county. Through word-of-mouth referrals, this group has been gathering weekly from September to May for over a decade.
The founders would tell you that their educational goal has always been to support their own children in the exploration of academic, artistic, recreational and occupational opportunities, as well as their individual interests, learning styles and potentials. This has become the reason for the expansion of SME. As their children's propensities evolved, it was necessary to add or vary the workshops for their family, as well as keeping the same ones for their friends.
What works for our founders has now attracted hundreds of families. Parents can drop off their children for 5 hours at a time to a student supervisor who monitors the health, safety and socialization of the students. Siblings and cousins are able to enjoy being near and learning together. In addition to the option of paying out-of-pocket, families can use their charter school funds to purchase workshops, class days and field trips. The best part is that SME is an independent program, NOT a school or a co-op. SME encourages parents the freedom to educate their children however they'd wish. We don't require testing, homework or work samples. In addition to subjects like language arts, social studies and science, SME exposes students to extraordinary subjects such as boating, music, drama, outdoor survival skills, martial arts, robotics, cooking, sewing, dance, languages, botany, music, entrepreneurship, zoology, and many others.
Soaring Minds Education is a tribe of families, enjoying and sharing a dynamic learning experience through class days, field trips, community service projects, and family socials.