The charter school movement in Utah is 15 years old and continuing to grow. There are now over 100 public charter schools in Utah, with more than a dozen opening the next two years. The State Office of Education has a charter school department and there are two charter school associations that exist to support charter schools. Read all about charter schools in Utah here.
There are two non-profit organizations that support charter schools by providing technical assistance, advocacy, events and numerous resources to members:
The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools
Salt Lake City has several charter schools within its city boundaries, some which are on the west side of the city.
Dual Immersion Academy is located at 1155 S. Glendale Dr. in in zip code 84104 and serves students in grades K-6.
“Dual Immersion Academy (DIA) is a public charter school with the unique mission to educate students within the Utah state core curriculum to become bilingual, bi-literate, and bi-cultural in Spanish and English. DIA provides a dual language educational opportunity for families in our community – the greater Salt Lake City/Wasatch Front Area of Utah. The goal of Dual Immersion Programs such as what we have at DIA is to promote native like bilingualism and bi literacy, achieve grade level academic achievement or higher, and encourage positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors in all students. The mission of Dual Immersion Academy (DIA) is to provide an academically rigorous curriculum in a supportive, nurturing environment to prepare students to become Spanish-English bilingual, bi-literate, and bicultural so students have the tools to be successful in higher education, the workforce, and life.”
In addition to the Core Curriculum that DIA offers, there is also an after school program that includes “USU Stars Gear Up, Dream Academy, After school program, and occasional projects/activities.”
Read more here.
Guadalupe Charter School is located at 1385 North 1200 West in in zip code 84116 and serves students in grades K-6. The school is a program of Guadalupe School, “a community of students, staff and volunteers who believe that education is the greatest tool to fight the cycle of poverty.”
Guadalupe Charter School focuses on “early intervention in educational pursuits can close the gap between at-risk students and their peers.”
There is an after school program that offers homework help and enrichment activities for students.
Read more here.
Pacific Heritage Academy is located at 1755 West 1100 North in in zip code 84116.
Serving students in grades K-8, PHA uses a variety of teaching methods, including Expeditionary Learning, and “has a mission to use Pacific Islander and world cultures as a continual topic of interest and intellectual pursuit within our curriculum, and to teach Heritage Languages of the Pacific. (Heritage Languages are the traditional languages spoken in the homes or communities of our target students). Our educational program consists of strategies and practices used on a daily basis through personal interactions, instructional practices and the learning of core content which acknowledge, consider, and include the values, norms, knowledge, beliefs, practices, experiences, and languages that are the foundation of the cultures of the students we are serving. With this foundation we are uniquely positioned to improve learning for all students and for our target population of Pacific Islanders.”
Read more here.
Salt Lake Center for Science Education serves students in grades 6-12 and is located at 1400 W. Goodwin Avenue in zip code 84116. The school is a “lab school” and is partnered between Salt Lake City School District and the University of Utah.
“At SLCSE, we develop the character and skills necessary to ‘Change Reality.’ We are courageous and persistent problem-solvers. We take healthy risks. We make mistakes and learn from our mistakes. We care about the quality of our work. We use professional language and kindness to develop learning communities. We take care of our abundant resources and use them to serve our school community and beyond. We use our curiosity, imagination and adaptability to direct ourselves in our quest; as learners, critical thinkers and ethical world citizens.”
Read more here.