Paideia Liberal Arts Academy (Grades 7-12)

We are very excited to have opened the Paideia Liberal Arts Academy to grades 7-11 for the 2023-2024 school year. Last year was a year of building culture and community with our scholars.  We will expand one grade level per year until reaching the 12th grade August of 2024.
Over the next 18 months, we will build 11,000 square feet onto the existing Baseline campus for the Liberal Arts Academy scholars with completion by July 2023.  This new addition will support our scholars and educators with Dual Enrollment Courses beginning soon!
The new high school wing will include:

  • World Science Labs

  • World class green house

  • World class Art Lab

  • World class health & wellness center with workout equipment for every goal!

  • World class music/performing arts Lab

  • World class math Labs

  • Nature-scape for outdoor learning, meditation

All this to support the authentic whole-person growth of our scholars towards their academic, social, emotional and life-long goals. 

It will take all of our efforts!
Welcome to Paideia Liberal Arts Academy
Dr. Winsor

You asked. We answered. Now enrolling.

As part of our desire to continue providing our families and our community in South Phoenix with a quality education, we’re pleased to extend our unique learning model and curriculum to high school scholars through our Paideia Liberal Arts Academy.

Scholars can continue to enjoy the student/leader culture they have come to appreciate under the guidance of our caring, credentialed teachers and facilitators. Scholars are guided in their whole-person paradigm – body, mind, heart, spirit – through the Six Pillars of Paideia while gaining a firm foundation of success with our instilment of the Leader in Me program and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People principles. As scholars progress through middle school and high school, we integrate the 8th habit of finding their voice and helping others find theirs.

Our high school curriculum has the same depth and breadth as found in the earlier years at Paideia Academies. Scholars will experience the same socially connected mind-body-heart activities with instruction rich in literacy, exploration, and coached projects. We offer an unmatched culture of social connection through mindful self-regulation, mentorship for our scholars, and achievements and growth through the setting and achieving of meaningful goals. These foundational elements and disciplines set the trajectory for our scholars’ success in college, career, citizenship and family life.

Paideia Liberal Arts Academy’s mission is not only to prepare students to enter but to successfully complete a higher education program within 5 years of high school graduation.

When a student – who has found their voice – graduates from the Paideia Liberal Arts Academy they will have a firm foundation not only to enter post-secondary studies but to complete and contribute to their chosen life’s work.

Our model seeks to develop the whole person – body, mind, heart, spirit – through a robust, holistic and rigorous educational experience.

At Paideia Academies, we believe each scholar has within them the capabilities to make a significant impact in the world. Year by year, we cultivate what is already within them, building confidence and nurturing their passion to meet the needs of the world.

Paideia's high school curriculum is designed to help scholars fully self-realize the 8th habit to "find my voice and help others find theirs." In developing the 8th habit, scholars will answer the following four key questions:

  1. What need do I sense in my family, community and the world?

  2. What true talents do I possess that, if nurtured through learning, can meet the need?

  3. Does the opportunity to meet the need tap into my passion?

  4. Does my conscience inspire me to take action and become involved?

The Paideia experience of grades 7 through 12 is designed to guide the student in finding their ultimate life mission, their soul’s code, and the legacy they will leave. We fully believe in and invest our time, energy and resources into each of our scholars, pouring our heart and our soul into them. We truly consider it an honor to be an integral part of their journey -- wherever it may lead.

Embedded in the culture and activities of Paideia are the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In developing these leadership habits, Paideia nurtures scholars to:

  • Be proactive instead of reactive by taking responsibility for their lives, to foster good choices.

  • Begin with the end in mind by defining their mission and goals in life.

  • Put first things first by planning and spending their time on the things that matter most.

  • Have a win/win attitude by seeking solutions where everyone can win.

  • Seek first to understand and then to be understood by listening to other people’s ideas and feelings.

  • Synergize by working together to create more.

  • Seek balance in their lives by regularly renewing their body, mind, heart, and spirit.

Academic Distinction through Development of Intellectual Rigorous High School Curriculum

To cultivate confidence, creative problem solving, independent thought, and inquiry, all Paideia Liberal Arts Academy scholars (in grades 9-12) are required to 1) complete annual capstone projects that answer the four “Find My Voice” questions and 2) publish their senior meditations journal, which represents their intellectual journey from Kindergarten through graduation.

Through their capstone projects, scholars are mentored to discover their talents, interests and passions while exploring needs and potential social impacts of action and inaction. Capstone projects and daily meditations invite scholars to ponder deeply and think critically. Through the reflection of a presented idea, scholars are led to a great intellectual journey that prepares them to excel in college, career, community, family life, and beyond.

  • Freshman students are required to complete the My Voice ECAP planning form. This project will guide the student to discover talents, interests, learning style and passions in planning their high school journey. They will be introduced to the four “Find My Voice” questions:

    1. What need do you sense in your family, community and the world?

    2. Do you possess a true talent that, if nurtured through learning, can meet the need?

    3. Does the opportunity to meet the need tap into your passion?

    4. Does your conscience inspire you to take action and become involved?

    Students in their freshman year will focus on the first question: “What need do I sense in my family, community, world?” The culminating project will identify a range of needs that interest the student along with why that need is important to solve and possible solutions.

  • The sophomore project continues developing the freshman project by focusing on the second question, “What true talent do I have that if nurtured through learning can meet the need identified in the freshman project?” The culminating project will include the student’s exploration of learning styles and what is needed to learn and where to go to gain the knowledge to make an impact on the need identified in the Freshman project.

  • The junior project builds on the previous years of development by exploring the question, “Does the opportunity to meet the need tap into my passion to act?” The student more deeply explores social impacts and ramifications of inaction to the need identified. The culminating project is an outline of action to be accomplished in the senior project.

  • The senior project culminates with targeted internships and action research within the area of need, learning and passion identified in the previous years.

  • All Paideia students are exposed daily from Kindergarten to graduation to ideas that provoke critical thinking and deep pondering. These ideas might be sparked through thought-provoking quotes, short stories, pictures or music. Students spend one full week on a single idea. Every morning all Paideia students reflect or meditate on the presented idea. These reflections or meditations are recorded in their personal Meditations Journal. This daily habit develops the skill of thinking deeply and pondering slowly of ideas and principles. During the student’s senior year, they will explore through previous meditations and create a final meditations journal representing their intellectual journey to graduation. The meditations journal will be published by the school with one copy given to the scholar at graduation and one copy placed in the Paideia library.

We are now accepting applications for grades 7-11! We plan to offer grade 12 at a later date.

Discover how the Paideia model cultivates kind leaders and establishes foundations of success.