"Education is the foundation of all we do in life. It shapes who we are and what we aspire to be." - Julie Payette
There are over 500,000 children in the Gem State and each and every one of them makes up an integral piece of the Idaho’s future. The foundations upon which they are building now create the promises for tomorrow’s world. It is this guiding principle that has prompted many establishments to take it a few steps further and have begun to incorporate so much more than a traditional education experience might provide.
Le Soleil/El Sol
"Le Soleil was the first of our family of programs and started as an early childhood program. Two years ago, I partnered up with Borja Aguilera Obaldia to open Suntree Language Academy,” shared Justin Snyder, Director of Le Soleil French School for Children. Alongside the El Sol/Suntree co-founder, Borja, the pair work with a dedicated staff to provide play-based language immersion for children.
Language learning goes far beyond the ability to speak multiple languages but is already incredibly beneficial for long-term cognition development. “Both for children and adults, learning another language will allow you to develop different pathways and brain functions,” Borja explained. “From developing strong thinking skills, increasing comprehension, cultivating greater cultural awareness to understanding math concepts and using logic.” | elsol.school | lesoleil.school
Peace Valley Charter
The vision of Peace Valley Charter is to create an innovative, student-centered education grounded in a community that nurtures self-awareness, respect, and dignity. Alongside teaching core curriculums aligned with Idaho standards, they also encourage drawing, cooking, acting, and gardening. The school also aims to limit the amount of technology that students are exposed to and encourages parents to do the same. This provides relief from what can be incredibly distracting to both a child’s education and their growing brains. “The community of staff and family are all-hands-on-deck and work to support the success of the school,” said Hope deCuir, Director of Student Services. “Each person is seen and respected as an individual with strengths, and when one of us needs support, the community comes together to provide it.” | peacevalleycharter.org
Riverstone International
Founded in 1997, Riverstone International has been serving the Treasure Valley as an independent institution for nearly 30 years. “Established with a commitment to academic excellence, Riverstone is known for its focus on a holistic education that emphasizes not only intellectual growth but also personal and social development,” Rachel Pusch explained to us. Rachel serves as the Director of Enrollment Management for Riverstone. She continues, “The school's small class sizes ensure personalized attention and a strong sense of community, fostering an environment where students are encouraged to think critically, engage deeply, and develop a lifelong love for learning.” Riverstone gives great importance to fostering a connection with nature, global perspectives, and leadership as is shown in their five pillars: academic excellence, community and service, leadership by example, international understanding, and outdoor education. |riverstoneschool.org
Boiseko Ikastola
The Basque people have been calling Idaho home since before Idaho was granted its statehood in the late 1800's. Their language, food, and culture has grown alongside the state and is an integral piece of Idaho’s history. “Boiseko Ikastola started as a dream that a few parents with Basque ancestry had in the late 1990’s,” shared school Director Sarah Artis. “It was their goal to have their children learn or continue to learn Euskara, the Basque language, while also providing them with childcare in preparation for kindergarten and later. In 1998, their hard work became a reality. Under the umbrella of the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, they were able to coordinate a location and hired a director. They then were able to host a teacher from the Basque Country to begin the program.”
Since their inception, Boiseko Ikastola has been supported by both the local Idaho community and the Basque Country, allowing Sarah and her staff to find and hire well-trained teachers directly from the Basque Country. “Learning Euskara is also essential to preserve, promote, and perpetuate Basque history and culture.” | boisekoikastola.org
Idaho Novus Classical Academy
Idaho Novus Classical Academy is a tuition-free, public American classical charter school opening in Eagle this year (2024), founded by a group of parents and community members who desired to bring a classical education establishment to the area. “Our mission is to train the minds and improve the hearts of students through a classical, content-rich curriculum that emphasizes virtuous living, traditional learning, and civic responsibility. Contemporary approaches to education treat college and career readiness as the chief objective, while classical education is focused on human formation,” said founding principal Dr. Vincent Kane. | idahonovus.org
Challenger School
Challenger originally opened as a small California preschool in 1963. Their Idaho campus opened its doors in 2008 and now offers programming from preschool to eighth grade. Marketing Manager, Joe Sloan, had this to say about Challenger School, “We prepare children to become self-reliant and productive individuals by encouraging them to take responsibility for their own learning and by providing the support they need to succeed independently. Once this principle is understood, for example, students don’t want their parents to help them manage their homework. Rather, students recognize that they are responsible for their own work, and they earn the inherent rewards of work well done.
“We teach students to think, speak, and write with clarity, precision, and independence by providing logic exercises and learning activities that develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students can then apply reason as they develop their communication skills during composition classes and with public speaking opportunities and competitions.” | challengerschool.com
Sage International
“Sage International School Boise opened its doors in 2010 and added its Middleton Campus in 2019. Sage International Schools began with a simple idea – parents and children needed a different option than the education they could find at other area schools. These parents wanted an international education, a rigorous learning environment, authentic teachers and a school that embraced innovation and change.”
Their Marketing and Communications Director, Heidi Hagman, started at Sage as a parent when her oldest child was in kindergarten. After volunteering for several years, she loved the mission and vision of Sage so much that she wanted to join the staff! “Our educators care more for our students than I've ever seen at any other school,” Heidi declared enthusiastically. “They ensure that they are learning and growing as students, but also care about their personal and emotional wellbeing.” Sage is a free International Baccalaureate (IB) school, offering all four of the IB programmes. “We are the only one in Idaho and only one of three in the entire country to do so.” | sageintl.org
"Education is the foundation of all we do in life. It shapes who we are and what we aspire to be." - Julie Payette