Catie Moore
Foundation Academy (FA) is a PreK3 through 12th grade private, Christ-centered college preparatory school that was founded in 1958 as a ministry of Winter Garden’s First Baptist Church. It has grown to include three campuses where educators teach fundamental subject learning and enrichment classes that foster creative learning to place emphasis on developing the whole child.
Additionally, nurturing relationships with students and their families creates an environment where children feel emotionally safe while also opening their minds and providing a bedrock for learning. FA’s goal is to develop independent learners who reflect social, emotional and academic competence.
“Our educators engage both sides of children’s brains by providing hands-on activities as a natural part of the learning process,” Angel Whitehead, principal of FA’s Plant Street campus, says. “Teaching methods that stimulate both sides of the brain keep students excited and engaged in the learning process in a more meaningful and fun way.”
For older students, examples include practicing hands-on experiments in the science lab and, most recently, creating social studies projects to reflect the contributions of Black Americans in history. Younger students at FA’s Lakeside campus have the opportunity to learn STEM through planting seeds and participating in enrichment activities in its outdoor garden. Students in all grade levels, and across the school’s three campuses, participate in multimedia experiences such as art and music.
Amanda Donaho, principal at the Lakeside campus, notes that the first seven years of a child’s life are a critical of time because this is when the right side of the brain, which is responsible for empathy, imagination and creativity, is developed. Combining a focus on the right brain while encouraging left brain growth through fun, engaging lessons lays the foundation for learning in the younger years.
“Overall, students need exposure in a variety of teaching methods, activities that spark curiosity and time to play,” Donaho says. “This is what helps grow well-rounded individuals who love to learn and have compassion for the world around them.”
Foundation Academy is more than a stop along the way in the educational process; it is an experience in learning that lasts a lifetime and beyond.
Plant Street (PreK – 6th Grade)
125 E. Plant Street, Winter Garden, FL 34787
407.656.3677
Lakeside Campus (Kindergarten – 1st Grade)
8464 Winter Garden Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32836
407.204.9672
Tilden Campus (7th – 12th Grade)
15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden, FL 34787
407.877.2744
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