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Background

Our "Why"
#BuildIt

Our story is rooted in the community of whom we serve. Built from the ground up, All Minds Academy was founded by Dr. Jen Leon, a mathematics educator who began teaching students with sensory-motor differences in 2014. Discovering their insatiable appetite for learning, especially in mathematics, she expanded her offerings through her company, All Minds Math, and eventually wrote a comprehensive high school mathematics curriculum. The curriculum, adapted for students who communicate by pointing at letters and symbols on a board, keyboard, or device held by a partner who provides motor support, was the first full math curriculum of its kind and for most of her students, it was their first experience with truly accessible and meaningful academics. Frustrated by the shortcomings of other educational programs and exhausted by the constant fight for accommodations, families began seeking alternatives and expressed a desire for Dr. Jen to create accessible curricula in other subjects. Eventually, Dr. Jen was able to put together an incredible team of highly credentialed educators and skilled practitioner-parents to work together to build a full high school program known as All Minds Academy. Soon after the summer 2023 announcement of the development of All Minds Academy, a partnership was established with Global Village School,  an accredited homeschool and private school hybrid whose mission and values closely align with All Minds.  As a result of this partnership, beginning Fall 2024, All Minds Academy is offering a fully accredited high school diploma through a program called, ASCEND. Graduation requirements of ASCEND mirror those of Global Village School and utilize All Minds Academy's curriculum, teachers, and advisors. A secondary program called, FLEX, is also offered serving students that might not want the full diploma program, but are seeking enrichment or supplemental learning. These one-of-a-kind programs are designed and led by experts with the necessary training and knowledge for utilizing best practices to support neurodivergent students that communicate best by spelling or typing. ​

Our Mission

Our MISSION

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Our mission is to provide neurodivergent students who communicate best by spelling or typing a rigorous, highly accessible, and neuro-affirming educational program that prepares them for options after high school, including college. 

 

Our goal is to help students grow and develop into confident and successful scholars, responsible global citizens, creative and forward thinkers, and stewards of the earth and humanity.

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Our commitment is to remain true to our roots.  â€‹â€‹All Minds Academy grew out of the needs and desires of the families and students we serve. We've done our best to create a program that addresses the greatest educational needs of the spelling/typing community that have been shared with us thus far, and we are committed to continuing to listen and adapt as we grow.

 

Our vision is to provide access to a meaningful, quality upper-secondary education to every neurodivergent individual across the globe who communicates best by spelling or typing.

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​​Here are some of the ways our program design reflects our mission:

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  • ​​Competence-Presuming Paradigm​ ​

    • Rigorous, standards-based curriculum

    • Adapted curriculum, not modified

    • Caring, encouraging administration and staff trained in best practices for serving students with motor/communication differences

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  • Respects the Balance Between School and Personal Time

    • Courses designed with an understanding of elevated time and energy demands associated with communication by spelling or typing 

    • Concise, yet rigorous assignments that reflect information processing abilities of our students therefore enabling courses to be completed in a reasonable timeframe, comparable to a typical high school course ​

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  • Honors Student Autonomy

    • Communication partners must demonstrate sufficient skills to support students authentically and respectfully

    • Communication partners must distinguish their voice from students

    • Students and communication partners must adhere to conduct and honor code developed by a committee including students, communication partners, and administration

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  • Adaptable to Individual Needs and Constraints

    • No minimum course enrollment

    • Implementable when and where it works best for the student

    • Self-paced and online

    • No upper age limit

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  • Accessible Curriculum

    • Rich and engaging instructional videos

    • Guided notes to accompany videos for ease of following along

    • Spelling-friendly exercises that concisely cover important objectives

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  • Supportive of Communication Partners

    • Partners not expected to be teachers

    • Answer keys provided for checking

    • Regular, live support from trained advisors that can provide student-communication partnership troubleshooting and encouragement

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  • Access to Excellent Teachers

    • Courses taught and supported by highly credentialed, subject-matter expert teachers​

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  • Honors Various Educational Goals

    • Option 1: Accredited diploma path for appropriate for students with college aspirations (ASCEND)

    • Option 2: À la carte courses for non-diploma seeking students (FLEX)

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  • No Upper Age Discrimination

    • Minimum enrollment age for most courses is 14, with no max.

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  • Accessible for Students Still Developing Open Communication

    • Most courses do not require long, open-ended responses

    • Testing is optional in all courses​​​​​

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  • Empowering and Neuro-Affirming Programming

    • When possible, course topics selected according to those most meaningful and applicable for our student population and include experiences and perspectives of other disabled individuals​

    • Global citizenship series designed to inspire and push students within reason to take action that creates positive change both locally and abroad

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