About Scholar Athletes Leadership Academy (SALA)
Scholar Athletes Leadership Academy (SALA) is a nationally accredited, coeducational, state-registered private school district. Across all of our campuses, we prepare young people for college and careers through a unique combination of academics, athletics, and leadership development. SALA serves scholar athletes from fourth through twelfth grade and offers rolling admissions throughout the school year.
SALA’s Educational Pedagogy
The leading and learning culture at SALA harnesses the power of student agency and growth mindset. When young people retain ownership over their education, they learn to problem solve, think outside the box, and challenge themselves in new and innovative ways. They become iterative thinkers, explorers, systems thinkers, creators, project managers, and tomorrows leaders.
OUR MISSION
OUR VISION
At SALA, we are dedicated to creating an environment where scholar athletes can succeed in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in “leading beyond school.”
An Innovative Academic Model
Scholar athletes enjoy a robust curriculum and instructional approach that is responsive, uniquely agile, and tailored to individual needs. In addition to a rigorous core academic experience, SALA’s scholar athletes are offered eight-week elective courses on contemporary topical subjects ranging in scope from public speaking to robotics, and from architecture to business entrepreneurship. Our smaller campuses and our 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio allow for increased access and equity, and an individualized educational plan (IEP).
A Commitment to Athletics
At SALA, we blend educational growth with accelerated athletic development. All scholar athletes benefit from daily professional training in their chosen sport, in addition to a bespoke blend of crossover training initiatives such as yoga, speed and agility, strength and conditioning, fitness testing and multi-sport experiences. SALA provides a supportive training environment with coaches and trainers committed to helping scholar athletes pursue college and professional athletic careers. To help create pathways into the world of professional sports, we offer immersion study abroad programs through our professional international partnerships.
College Readiness and Postgraduate Studies
SALA is committed to preparing scholar athletes for their next steps, whether that means attending college, enrolling in career training, or taking a gap year. We are proud to boast a 100% graduation rate and 100% four-year college acceptance rate. All high school scholar athletes follow a NCAA forced-track graduation path at SALA, ensuring all scholar athletes are fully prepared to continue their athletic career in college.
For scholar athletes who are interested in taking a gap year before entering college or their professional career, SALA offers a Post-Graduate Studies Program in Sports & Leadership. Participants can continue their academic and personal development in a supportive and challenging environment. This program includes SAT/ACT prep, continued athletic training, college credit, and application and recruitment support for scholar athletes pursuing collegiate-level athletics.
Founder's Welcome
Fixing factories is profoundly difficult. Designing from scratch is life-affirming. We have taken what global society already collectively knows about fortifying whole, healthy young people and put it together in a model of school that celebrates a universal design for learning….rich with flexibility and agency.
You won’t find outdated pacing guides or curriculum maps on our campus. We have designed a school to truly prepare our scholar athletes for the life they want to live – to become their best selves, and to enjoy a fulfilled professional life. Success is necessarily and uniquely individual; in much the same way as a young person’s educational attainment should never be standardized and/or compared to another’s. After all, growth and development is non-linear. Our growth-minded graduates are young learners and leaders forged with resiliency, moral fiber and global perspective.
Families choose specialist and private schools not just because of overcrowding, safety or boredom. Alternative, smaller learning communities offer deeper and more meaningful relationships, increased access and agency, and a more responsive and personalized scholastic experience. If young people know what they want to do, they had better get ready for it. Preparation for life starts with motivation and engagement, and leads to self-direction, self-regulation, self-discovery, self-discipline and ultimately, self-sufficiency. Learning how to learn, developing and prioritizing skills over content, and establishing exciting post-18 pathways are the covetable consequences of meeting young people where they (not others) are at. This is the foundation of all meaningful experiences.
Commensurate to our operational intent and overarching mission, SALA provides a differentiated school experience that encourages professional educators to operate the elevator at all times, but not necessarily push the button for each floor.
Welcome to SALA!
Join the SALA Family
If individualized attention, flexible and collapsible school schedules are what your scholar athlete needs, consider Scholar Athletes Leadership Academy to help your child fall (back) in love with school. Our approach to academic and athletic development creates a nurturing, stable, democratic and supportive environment for all high-level scholar athletes. For more information about our private day school, or to schedule a tour or a prospective scholar athlete “shadow day”, please contact us today.