Welcome to Vita Prep!
Our education model seeks to provide an inexpensive, accessible education that prioritizes the mental, emotional, and physical health of students while building the skills for a fulfilling life. We aim to differentiate ourselves from current models by providing contextual, project-based learning plans that leverage students’ interests to engage them in their education. Our goal is simple and grand – to prepare the Earth, that the seeds of truth may take root.
✓ Learner-Driven
✓ Project-Based
✓ Specialized Instruction
Serving Kindergarten through 6th grade
How to get started
1
Check out our Pricing
2
Take a Tour
3
Apply for Vita Prep (School code 4014)
4
Apply for Step Up Scholarship
5
Start at Vita Prep
Next Start Date – 8/11/2025
What We Believe
TEACHER KNOWS BEST
At Vita Prep, we’re firm believers those closest to the child are best equipped to make decisions about what, how, and when to teach. No state requirements or mandatory testing here, just individualized learning that is tailored to each child.
Students Should learn to be
In the last 150 years, the focus of education has been learning to know. The more you know, the “smarter” you are. In an age of AI, Alexa, and Google, we firmly believe the facts are the least important part of the learning process. When students learn to be caring, thoughtful people, they can learn to do activities and skills they enjoy and can learn the facts as they need them. We believe flipping education upside-down in this way is the best way to prepare students for the world of 15 years from now, when they leave us to change the world for the better.
Learning is not a spectator sport
Parents are active participants in their child’s learning journey, whether they mean to be or not. Children are sponges and are always watching, learning, and forming opinions about the world. As our students’ first and best teachers, our parents accept the responsibility as an integral part of the learning journey.
Starting with Vita Prep
What to Expect
Homework
We do not assign homework at Vita Prep. Students may choose to complete work or reading at home if they wish, but it is their decision where to do their work and how much time to devote to it.
Earning Feathers
“Feathers” is our system of recognizing a student’s dedicated work over an extended period of time toward a substantial goal. These can range from demonstrating mastery in algebra or chemistry to composing a piece of music or writing a play.
Core Skills
Students will advance their mastery of core skills (reading, writing, and arithmetic) using various online learning platforms such as Khan Academy. Core skills are an essential part of the learning process, but are completed at the student’s pace.
Socratic method
Socratic discussions are staples in our daily curriculum, and present students with real-world, complex scenarios designed to challenge the way they think. Topics may include historical events, philosophical challenges, business scenarios, and many more.
Reading
In addition to their core skills work in reading foundations, students are expected to choose reading materials they find interesting to read on their own. This can be anything from comic books to The Grapes of Wrath.
Lunch
Eventually, we would love to provide lunch to our students daily, but for now, students are expected to bring a lunch each day and respect the allergies of their fellow students when planning their lunches for the week.
Earning their Feathers
“Feathers” is our system of recognizing a student’s dedicated work over an extended period of time toward a substantial goal. These can range from demonstrating mastery in algebra or chemistry to composing a piece of music or writing a play. Below is the process for planning and earning a feather.
01
PLAN
Students select or create a project related to the session goal that interests them. They must plan out the project using the SMART goal format provided to ensure the project is thorough and rigorous.
02
PITCH
Once the project is planned, students will pitch the project to a panel of peers for feedback and approval. Not every project will get approved on the first pitch, and may require revision to get approved. This method of peer accountability is critical to maintaining high standards.
03
EXECUTE
Once approved, students will go to work throughout the session executing milestones of their project. As part of their project plan, milestones are identified with deadlines occurring throughout the session. Students will review milestones with their peers as those deadlines arrive to ensure they remain on track and in scope for their project.
04
DEMONSTRATE
Feathers are earned after a project is completed through a demonstration of mastery.
FAQs
What is a rest week?
Rest weeks are time set aside at the end of each session for reflection, relaxation, and specifically focusing on mental health. Students will have no project or core skills milestones to achieve during these weeks, instead engaging in yoga, free play, meditation, and relaxation exercises. Students are encouraged to spend these weeks exploring their interests, even those with little educational value, and parents are encouraged to schedule family outings aligned with rest weeks if they so choose.
What about tests?
Studies have shown the main things tests are good at showing is how good a student is at taking a test. Our method of feathers is a version of a badge system that is being widely adopted as a better alternative to standardized tests. For those who are into data tracking, Khan Academy and our other online learning platforms have a plethora of data to see how each child is progressing in their core skills. We do participate in 1 standardized test per year as a reference point to ensure compliance with scholarship programs and other state funding.
What about PE, Arts, and electives?
What are normally called “electives” are built into our daily lives at Vita Prep. Students are encouraged to pursue learning through their interest areas. For some, that means their projects will have a significant art, technology, or music component. We also have structured and unstructured PE time weekly, as well as our rest weeks where we spend dedicated time on mental and physical well being. We are also partnering with local community groups to provide regular exposure to art, music, and more.
What about college?
Our goal is for every student to have the skills to live a fulfilling life. For some of our students, that life may include a college degree. Our feather system is aligned with traditional school curriculum and can be easily converted into a transcript that will be accepted by any college or university admissions office. In addition, students will have a portfolio of their work demonstrating their mastery, skills, and interests that they will build and refine throughout their time at Vita.
Do you offer Middle or High School?
For the 2025-2026 school year, no. However, we intend to start our Middle/High school, called Vita Consilium (Life Guidance), in August of 2026.
What are these scholarships? How do I qualify?
The Step Up Program (link) has 4 scholarships offered by the State of Florida. These programs allow alternative education schools like ours to receive funding that would normally follow your child to their local school. We will hold parent info meetings at the beginning of each year to help parents apply and ensure they pay as little out of pocket as possible.
Are you a Christian School?
We welcome people of any faith or no faith to embark on their educational journey with us, and do not require at any time that they profess faith in any particular religion. At the same time, we do not limit discussions about religion within our school. Students and teachers are welcome to engage in open, meaningful conversation about religion.
Are you Accredited?
A 2 part response here:
- Not yet, but we are working on getting accredited through the IALDS (International Association of Learner Driven Schools). The process of gaining accreditation is quite extensive, and we expect will take a year or two. Accreditation at the elementary level matters very little in terms of future prospects. Any middle or high school, public or private, will still accept and enroll a Vita student, even if we’re not accredited.
- Accreditation matters less to us than creating passionate learners who are curious about the world in which they live and have the skills to thrive and lead a fulfilling life (Problem solving, money management, project management, etc.). We are pursuing accreditation to satisfy any requirements by other institutions that may prevent a Vita student from pursuing their goals, such as colleges, universities, certification programs, and the like.
Ready for the next step?
We are so excited to share more with you about our new private school in Port St John! If you believe Vita Prep is the right choice for your child and your family, we encourage you to fill out an application below. We would also love to meet you at one of our open houses or community events.