In the fall of 2016, Bright Scholars Early Learning Academy (Bright Scholars) will open its doors! Opened by community members Drs. Wisener and Mia Young, Bright Scholars will be located less than five minutes away from Eagle Creek and Laureate Park and only seven minutes away from Medical City at 2580 N. Narcoossee Road, St. Cloud, FL 34771.
Drs. Wisener and Mia Young moved to the Lake Nona area from the west side of Orlando in 2015. Dr. Wisener Young is a clinical pharmacist with the Orlando VA, and Dr. Mia Young has more than 17 years of educational experience as a former teacher, school-based principal and educational consultant for Apple, Inc. She also worked for a large early childhood franchise, where her interest in education shifted from secondary to early childhood. However, it wasn’t until the Youngs became parents themselves that they discovered that finding the right fit for preschool for daughter Malea wasn’t as easy as they had hoped. They desired a safe Christian environment with stellar academics and smaller classes. When they couldn’t find, it they decided to build it.
Bright Scholars Early Learning Academy will have a Blended Learning Model to engage children and tap into the interests of every child. Serving ages six weeks to private kindergarten, their four core components of teacher-directed instruction, child-initiated play, instructional technology, and S.T.E.A.M. academics are sure to target all learning styles. Beginning with their Pre-Scholars (age 3), they will implement weekly S.T.E.A.M. projects (science, technology, engineering, art and math). The goal is to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills through S.T.E.A.M. lessons, moving beyond ABCs and 123s. The focus at Bright Scholars Early Learning Academy is to create something special, a learning environment where children are experiencing learning through hands-on explorations and becoming investigators of learning.
Dr. Young explained how a sample S.T.E.A.M. lesson would work at Bright Scholars. First, it would involve children reading a story about a subject. For example, the subject would be as simple as balls and the children would read Pete the Cat Play Ball. Next, the children would conduct a mini-experiment to determine which of four types of balls will bounce higher than the others. The little ones make predictions, then test their predictions. According to Dr. Mia Young, “It’s these types of activities that children will remember.”
When asked what makes Bright Scholars different from other schools, Dr. Young responded, “First, we are a Christian school, and a key part of our daily instruction includes developing godly character through the teaching of biblical children’s stories. We are an extension of the home, supporting the Christian values parents are instilling in their children. Secondly, we offer an exceptionally low teacher-child ratio and small class sizes. Most importantly, we are not a corporate school but a community school. We can listen to our parents and implement recommendations and suggestions provided by our families. This is not just a business for us; rather, this is our ministry, and our purpose is to provide an environment where we genuinely love our children, families, and employees and display the love of God in all that we do. We live in the community. We are a part of the community. That’s the Bright Scholars difference. It’s an experience and environment that we’ve created.”
For enrollment information, please visit www.MyBrightScholar.com and click on the contact page to submit the pre-enrollment form. Dr. Mia Young will respond personally to each inquiry and answer any questions parents may have. For specific questions, please email info@MyBrightScholar.com.
