The Integrity Academy is on a mission to “co-create an educational environment that nurtures the physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual development of our students with active participation from their families.” Located in the heart of Austin, TX the Integrity Academy is located adjacent to Zilker within the hidden gem, Casa De Luz.
I volunteered one afternoon to teach a group of students how to spray paint. It was a particularly hot summer afternoon, but the enthusiasm of the kids made it well worth it. We had the opportunity to paint a very special canvas, the kid’s school bus. As most of my experiences teaching young children how to spray paint, they could barely stand still as I went through the “rules” and some tips for painting. They were jumping for joy as we put them in smocks and attempted to put gloves over their tiny hands. The project was a messy one, but the kids loved it and needless to say, the bus is far more colorful than when we started.
The philosophy behind the Integral Academy is that “all humans need love, compassion, intellectual stimulation and nutrition. Integrity Academy provides not only a physical location, but an energetic space that expands past the walls of the campus. Children are educated in a team teaching, project-based, non-graded, multi-aged environment focused on collaboration, cooperation, and communication.” A few of the many things that they focus on are: gardening, music, conflict-resolution, culinary arts, yoga, internships, graphic arts, and entrepreneurship. For more information click here.
