Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Espinosa.
Hi Amber, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2012, a group of parents and community members decided to open a charter school where students would receive personalized learning. They were inspired by a White Bear Lake School District teacher who personalized learning in his classroom using small group instruction, games, and technology. The founding board applied to open a charter school, which in Minnesota means that Level Up Academy is a free and public school. Instead of a district boundary, charter schools have an innovation in education. The school opened in 2015 with the mission, “By tapping into each child’s intrinsic motivation, we deliver higher than usual growth, and the vision, “All children have limitless joyful curiosity and capacity to reach their potential.” In 2015, the school opened with 60 students. In 2022, we purchased our property and renovated our building. We now have 240 students and three learning pathways — Live, our 5-day-a-week in-person pathway; Fusion, our hybrid path; and our fully online Virtual pathway. We were voted the best school in White Bear Lake in 2022!
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Charter Schools in Minnesota must prove that they are academically and financially viable for at least five years before purchasing a building. Level Up Academy opened in 2015 in an older church building with classrooms initially built for small Sunday School classes. COVID hit our five-year mark when we became eligible to purchase a building! We were uniquely prepared for COVID-19 because we already used technology in our classrooms. Even so, we struggled with providing remote and hybrid learning, and we decided to put our plan to purchase and renovate our building on hold. In 2022, we finally purchased our property and renovated our building!
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I was a teacher at the beginning of my career and then left the field of education. When my kids were enrolled in a typical district school, I saw their excitement about learning dwindling, and they began experiencing a significant amount of anxiety about school. I realized that their social, emotional, and academic needs weren’t being met in a typical school district program, so I searched for other options. In 2015, when Level Up Academy opened, we enrolled our two youngest kids at the school. The personalized learning model and warm community made a life-changing difference for our family. Our kids grew in their love of learning and confidence, and our entire family became so much happier every day. Level Up Academy truly made a life-changing difference! The following year, I decided to return to education to help build Level Up Academy. I was our first middle school teacher and a teacher leader who helped design the learning program. Over the years, we have developed our four pillars:
- #weCODE represents our commitment to teaching computer science at every grade level. #weCODE is also the acronym for our school values — Cooperation, Ownership, Doing your Best, and Everyone Matters.
- #wePERSONALIZE pillar represents our commitment to meeting each child where they are and moving them forward.
- #weENGAGE represents our passion for meaningful, engaging learning through games and 21st Century skills.
- #weCONNECT represents our intentional focus on relationships.
Our school is known for having a positive school community; in fact, 97.3% of families say that our school is a positive learning environment. Transformation happens when we build relationships, personalize learning, and provide engaging learning, just like it did for my family! Over and over again, families say that Level Up Academy has made a life-changing difference for their children.
What changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We know that our children’s jobs have yet to be invented! Our education system needs to evolve to prepare for a rapidly changing world! We must give children opportunities to learn to use technology effectively and become creative problem-solvers. Interestingly, children will also likely need social-emotional skills to provide services that technology can’t offer. We’re working on future-focused outcomes and pathways to help our students be well-prepared for the future.
Pricing:
- We are a free and public school!
- We provide bussing in the White Bear School District.
- We offer free lunches to all in-person students.
- We give a Chromebook or iPad to each student.
- We offer a full range of special education services.
Contact Info:
- Website: levelupacademy.org
- Instagram: @levelupacademy_wecode
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LevelUpAcadMN/
