Meraki Academy
35 Sylmar Rd, Rising Sun, MD 21911
A School In Your Community
Meraki Academy is a K-12 school that turns traditional education upside down. Instead of sitting at a desk completing assignments and learning facts for a test, students engage in deep learning. Deep Level 4 learning only happens when learning is active, engaged, meaningful, and socially interactive. This means that children learn best by doing. This forms the core of our curriculum. By focusing on these four things, providing an environment for children to learn by doing, and taking the focus off of academic performance, several amazing things happen; not only is the deepest learning achieved, but soft skills and character are also developed. Then, the academics follow naturally after that, often more quickly and with much less effort.
This is a learner driven community. Responsibility for their education is placed squarely on the shoulders of the learners. They are provided with boundaries, mentors, and legitimate authority. Then, within those boundaries, the students are trusted with the freedom and responsibility necessary to take charge of their own education. Next, the students are allowed to struggle. In this struggle they accomplish the most important task of childhood and adolescent: the development of a sense of self. It is this development that enables the development of all the character traits we most want our children to develop: self-control, self-discipline, self-confidence, resilience, perseverance, good work ethic, empathy, compassion, etc.
Experience why our children are HAPPY to learn!
What Makes Us Special?
Our students have the opportunity to find out just who they are, on their own timetable, in a child-centered environment where their individuality is cherished.
Hands-on Learning
Hands-on project-based quests help students master the tools and skills needed to solve problems in the real world.
Innovative Learning
An innovative learning environment that fosters deeper thought and stimulates questioning and student-led research.
Character Development
We believe our students need two critical qualities to truly succeed: warm-heartedness and toughmindedness. These are the traits of heroes, not victims.
Physical Activity
Each day is started with 30 minutes of physical activity to help students release energy and gain focus before getting to work.
Studio-Size Model
Classrooms are modelled after Maria Montessori’s model for an ideal classroom size of between 28-38 children of mixed ages.
Mission Statement
To create an environment where every student understands their inherent value and finds a passion – something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. In this way, each one discovers their own genius and changes the world.
Promises to Learners
Begin a hero’s journey. Discover one’s own genius and a commitment to mastery. Become a curious, independent, lifelong learner. Embrace the forging of a strong character. Cherish the arts, the physical world, and the mysteries of life. Treasure economic, political, and religious freedom.
Educational Philosophy
Clear thinking leads to good decisions, good decisions lead to good habits, good habits forge character, and character determines destiny.
Beliefs
Each child is a genius and has a gift that can change the world in a profound way. A closely connected family of lifelong learners will enable learning by knowing, learning by doing, and learning by being. This will help nurture each child’s gifts and help them treasure and take personal responsibility for their economic, political, and religious freedom. The heroes at Meraki Academy learn to learn by engaging in Socratic discussions and self-paced challenges that equip them to be independent lifelong learners. The heroes learn to do through hands-on quests in science, entrepreneurship, and the arts. This prepares them for apprenticeships and real-world challenges. They learn to be by embarking on the Hero’s Journey. Relational covenants and real-world consequences transform difficult decisions into virtuous habits.
Curriculum Overview
Meraki Academy is a school model for the future, now. Meraki Academy is reinventing education for children. The world needs a generation of heroes who have good character and a strong moral compass that will guide them to do big things. Normal people doing extraordinary things at a time when educational change is needed will bring about great educational change. The latest in educational technology enables self-paced mastery of reading, writing, and math skills. Deep Socratic discussions about heroes, history, and self-governance hone critical thinking skills and the ability to powerfully think, write, and speak. Hands-on project-based quests help students master the tools and skills needed to solve problems in the real world. A commitment to written promises and covenants form a tightly bound community of individuals learning to form authentic friendships and authentically solve interpersonal problems.
Parent Testimonial
What I was thrilled by at first, after enrolling my children in Meraki Academy, was my immediate impression of a simple, warm, nurturing atmosphere without the sea of chaos that you find in so many schools. Instead, I noticed an approach that was personal, embracing, and encouraging the individual child within a collective collaborative environment. This is where children can really learn, build inner confidence and empathy for others. I look forward to seeing even more powerful results as they continue to grow and learn.
Since my children have attended Meraki, they have experienced more than academic growth. Once reluctant to hike more than a mile, they can now run 3 miles as part of a workout. They are also increasing emotional maturity through actively learning to engage peacefully and compassionately with people having all points of view, and confidently share their perspectives with others. Next, they are able to confidently and independently solve real world problems with simple materials and a sense of growing community behind them.
At Meraki our children receive an education that opens doors to endless opportunities and valuable skills. They can feed their love of learning and growing in a unique environment as they are not limited to a classroom and textbooks. A large portion of their time is spent outdoors and hands on. The freedom that these students have to learn in the best way possible for them is amazing and reaps rewards far above and beyond any traditional schooling. Our children are being taught to face the challenges of life in a great and positive way and we feel they will be prepared and armed with knowledge and confidence to be the best at whatever they choose to do in life. We highly recommend Meraki Academy.