“The secret to creating and preserving a culture of joy in our home is found in the Person of Jesus," Henry says. "If God is your main 'squeeze' in life, what fills you is His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

For the Coopers, joy is not simply another family value. It is the fruit of a life centered on Christ. That distinction has shaped nearly every rhythm of their home.

In The Festive School, Father Nathan Carr offers an answer that feels both ancient and surprisingly countercultural. He argues that the deepest work of education is not the transfer of information but the formation of affection. Schools shape what children love, and they accomplish this not merely through curriculum but through the repeated habits, celebrations, rituals, and shared experiences that become the culture of a community.

I often think of another story that illustrates this beautifully. Years ago, a mother wrote to C.S. Lewis about her nine-year-old son, who had fallen in love with The Chronicles of Narnia. She worried that he loved Aslan more than he loved God. Lewis gently replied, "All that your son loves about Aslan is God."

Lewis understood something profound: children often learn to love what is beautiful before they fully understand why it is true. The imagination frequently leads where the intellect eventually follows.

That simple insight has shaped so much of how we think about education at Innovate Academy.

“Reading together was a way that we connected with each other,” Anne says. “I think that helped make my kids fall in love with reading because they associated it with something positive.”

In a world filled with sports schedules, extracurricular activities, endless notifications, and competing screens, how do families cultivate a love of reading in their children?

We asked several Innovate Academy parents how they foster reading at home. While each family has developed its own rhythms and traditions, their responses revealed a common theme: raising readers is less about programs and more about culture.

The purpose of reading is not simply to accumulate information. It is to form the imagination, cultivate virtue, and prepare scholars to wrestle with life's deepest questions. The stories we place before children matter because stories shape not only what they know, but who they become.

Introducing Raising Culture Makers—a new podcast at the intersection of classical education, Christian parenting, and the future of learning.

Beginning in Fall 2026, Grade 9 scholars will move into math, science, and electives through individualized plans—self-paced, live, or online courses—each shaped by a longer-term vision developed alongside a Life Architect and College & Career Counselor.

When I transferred in during sixth grade, I started in the same classes as everyone else. But once my Mentors noticed that I was moving ahead more quickly in math, they made adjustments.

Classical education is experiencing a quiet but significant resurgence. In a January 2026 Wall Street Journal article, “How ‘Classical’ Schools Teach Kids to Be Citizens,” James Traub explores why. Traub examines a growing movement of schools that aim not merely to prepare students for college or careers but to form them into thoughtful, responsible citizens.

At Innovate Academy, education is about more than test scores. We aim to form scholars who read deeply, think clearly, communicate well, and love what is true, good, and beautiful.

"Every moment. Every conversation. Every lesson prepared. At Innovate Academy, we believe the room shapes it all—and we get to shape the room. Join us Friday, March 20, 2026, for Rooms of Renewal, an unforgettable evening at Penn Oaks Golf Club featuring keynote speaker Dr. Louis Markos. Discover how we are investing in the spaces where minds grow, hearts are formed, and futures are built."

At Innovate Academy, entrepreneurship isn’t a theory—it’s a lived experience. Through programs like Boss Club™ and our flexible, collaborative model, scholars learn how ideas become action and how service becomes opportunity. We encourage partnerships beyond our campus so students can develop practical skills while engaging with real communities. 

At Innovate Academy, we believe the arts are a language of the soul—a way students learn to express truth, beauty, and faith. Through partnerships beyond our campus, scholars engage with diverse communities and develop their talents in real-world settings.

For Kennedy Kea, creativity is not just something she does—it’s part of who she is.

At Innovate Academy, athletics are more than competition—they’re a classroom for character, discipline, and wellness. We encourage our scholars to pursue opportunities beyond our campus, partnering with external organizations to develop a broad range of skills and engage with diverse communities.

For Shane Esser, soccer has been part of life for as long as he can remember.

We’re excited to share that the new Innovate Academy website is officially live!

This update represents months of thoughtful work to better reflect who we already are, what we already do well, and where we’re headed next as a growing school community.

At Innovate Academy, learning doesn’t only exist inside the classroom’s walls. Our upper-school internship program invites scholars to step into real responsibilities where imagination meets initiative, service meets skill, and faith meets practice. This year, three interns—Zachary Paulus, Mykah Mazzoli, and Georgia Allemeier—have been pioneering new pathways in community development, worship arts, and literacy education.

Innovate Academy showed me that a learning difference does not limit a scholar’s potential. With the right support, rigor, and vision, dyslexia did not hold me back—it shaped me into a deeper reader, thinker, and learner.

One of the great joys of teaching is helping young people discover that they are capable of more than they imagined. At Innovate Academy, we pursue that goal through Personalized Learning Plans—intentional pathways that recognize each scholar’s gifts, challenges, and pace of growth.

At Innovate Academy, we believe the arts are not extras—they are teachers of the soul. Through music, drama, visual art, and storytelling, scholars learn to observe carefully, imagine boldly, and express truth beautifully. These habits shape not only creativity but also how a young person thinks about the whole world.