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A New School in Town – TIDE Academy

06 August, 2011 04:08:00 Kacey Schneider

While there are several private schools in the area, none are located directly in Tamarindo. There are also none that cater directly to students who have strong extra-curricular interests. Chelsea Lisaius decided to open a school and change all of that. Chelsea, who has lived in the area for three years and is an experienced teacher, is opening up TIDE Academy on September 5^th. TIDE , which stands for “Total Immersion of Life through a Dynamic Education,” will be located in the center of Tamarindo and will cater to students at the sixth grade level and higher. Chelsea’s goal with TIDE is to create a balance between education, extra-curricular activities, and the community. Chelsea explained that after living and teaching here, she noticed how many students excel in activities outside of the classroom, yet their talents were being hindered because of conventional learning environments. She wanted to promote a school that not only provides a quality education in the traditional academic disciplines, but which also fostered students’ passions that exist beyond of school, whether it is surfing, dance, or art. TIDE is U.S.-accredited and partnered with Global Village School, which allows Chelsea to be flexible in how she can work around the individual students’ needs and interests. Students will also be able to receive credit for their extra-curricular activities. Chelsea noted, “Many of the students in this area have passions that require them to travel, such as to surf contests. Many of the families here also want their children to experience many different cultures, whether it is traveling around this country or to other places. Both commitments to extra-curriculars and to cultural immersion are excellent forms of education in their own way, and students should not lose these experiences. They should also not suffer with their school work because of them. T.I.D.E. will offer a solution – a balance – to this predicament.” Ultimately, T.I.D.E.’s goal is to combine traditional education with “life” education, since the two together are what ultimately create the most well-rounded students. Right now, TIDE Academy is organizing a life-guarding program with Witch’s Rock Surf Camp to promote community involvement, and Chelsea plans on doing other programs like this in the future.

For more information, visit www.tideacademy.com or www.globalvillageschool.com.