Why Innocademy
Nature-enriched, year-round learning that develops students into young leaders and active, successful citizens in their communities and beyond.
An Accredited State of Michigan Charter School
Innocademy is an elementary and middle school that focuses on the whole child through the use of educational best practices to create a culture of caring where every child is challenged to succeed.
A Charter Education
A charter school is an independently run public school that operates under a contract between an authorizer, the school and the Michigan Department of Education. Charter schools are held to the same educational standards as public schools.
As a charter school, we have the flexibility to personalize attention, meet students at their Just-Right academic level and include teacher input on curriculum development. In addition to meeting national standards, we equip students with 21st century skills and infuse nature-enriched lessons into our curriculum.
Tuition-Free Schooling
We are a completely tuition-free public school academy and any Michigan student may enroll in our programs!
Field Experiences
We educate the whole child—academically, socially, physically and emotionally. Part of this experience includes hands-on experiences outside of school. These experiences allow them to see real-world applications of integrated content they’re learning in class while exploring the natural world within our own communities.
Our trips progress in distance and depth as students grow from “younger friends” to “older friends” at Innocademy. In the past, students have visited the Fennville library, the dunes of Lake Michigan, Remington Forest, the Outdoor Discovery Center and a variety of live arts experiences. We offer several school-sponsored fundraising opportunities to help offset expenses.
Just-Right Learning Groups
We understand learners work at different paces. Our Just-Right Grouping approach allows us to place students in groups that fit their ability level. For example, if a chronological 3rd grade student is ready for concepts in a 4th grade level literacy group, they are placed in that Just-Right Learning Group.
We work with parents to make decisions and closely monitor each student’s academic and socio-emotional progress. Just-Right Learning Groups simultaneously allow students who are ready for accelerated learning to be challenged while giving other students extra time to master a concept.
We have a commitment to a small student-to-teacher ratio. We’ve seen our individualized instruction and attention lead to higher student achievement.
Culture of Caring
We operate with a “Culture of Caring.” We ask students to consider, “How do my words and actions make people feel?” Understanding that each person is a deeply valuable member of our learning team is critical in the development of the whole child. We embrace uniqueness, collaboration and stewardship and hope our students carry this culture with them to communities outside of school.
We teach students that IAC stands for more than Innocademy Allegan Campus—it also stands for In control, Aware and Caring. Our teachers work hard to share intentional teaching moments, creating a positive environment where students thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
Nature-Enriched Learning
Sometimes, the best learning happens beyond the walls of the classroom. We have a natural outdoor resource located at our school and a partnership with Outdoor Discovery Center Education Network (ODC) that allows us to enhance your student’s learning experience with outdoor lessons and projects.
In an age where we’re constantly surrounded by technology, we prioritize student connection and engagement with the natural world. These shared hands-on experiences help students bridge knowledge gaps and prevent learning silos.
We go beyond academics and focus on developing the whole child. We believe our outdoor, project-based learning addresses every aspect of a student’s development, stimulating student growth, grit, empathy, engagement and student achievement.
Get a Feel for the Student Experience
Parent Testimonials
“One of the things that stuck in our minds was that the students who come here get the opportunity to go outside and learn. And even when they are at the school, they are not sitting in their chairs for six, seven hours a day. All the students at Innocademy get hands-on learning.”
“As a stay at home mom who had been homeschooling for quite a long time, I felt like I wanted a strong academic curriculum for my kids, but I also wanted them to be outside in nature when possible. Being able to incorporate that into a traditional school program was essential.”
About Innocademy
Our Mission
By embracing the whole child and focusing on each student’s academic growth, we inspire students to be critical thinkers and expose them to opportunities encouraging social and environmental engagement. Our year-round curriculum provides integrated outdoor learning experiences, so students engage with nature while emphasizing a culture of caring and character development, positively impacting others in the community and beyond.
Our Values
Trust
TRUST is the foundation in all our relationships. Our families know that their welfare and growth is critical to each one of us. We share information and honor commitments. Our parents trust us with their children and know we treat them as our own.
Service
We service our students and families by recognizing and accommodating their unique gifts and needs. We also encourage them to use their gifts and talents to serve others in our community.
Risks
We take risks…lots of calculated risk, because that is how improvement is born. We embrace change and new challenges, because we know that change inevitably leads to growth.
Fun
We have fun to ensure that we are enthusiastic and passionate. We throw ourselves at problems, smile, laugh, share what we feel, own it and do fun things together as a team. We strive to instill that same mentality in our students while learning.
Teamwork
In our school each teacher owns school responsibilities and teaching responsibilities where their passion and gifts benefit the whole. We all get dirty hands and like it – and encourage our students to do the same!
Balance
We hustle, push, reflect, challenge, and sometimes work longer to get the job done. We also recognize the importance of pursuing our own personal passions outside of the workplace.
Invest
We invest in individuals by empowering, growing, honoring and connecting with one another. Our parents are heavily involved in our vision to invest in our students to give them every advantage for the future. We know that the personal investments that we make with our students and families now will result in lifelong growth.
Grit
Grit is a subtle value that we work to instill in all of our students. Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance, a belief that failure can be overcome. It’s a willingness to conquer challenges, instead of avoiding them. What an incredibly important idea this is; one that helps us grow and learn! Whether our staff and students are hiking in the great outdoors or tackling a complex math problem, grit is a critical piece of whole child development.
