It’s impossible to deny the impact education has on young students.
With most school-age children spending the majority of their waking hours in the classroom, it’s critical that the experience be a constructive one.
The accomplishments of Self Development Academy’s graduates speak for themselves, with students going on to high school years ahead of their peers and being accepted into some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges.
“Many, many of our students have gone on to elite colleges, including Harvard and Princeton,” said founder Dr. Anjum Majeed. “They come back and tell us how we have helped them and given them a strong foundation to grow and become lifelong learners.”
However, what’s most important at Self Development Academy is right in the name—self development. This critical component has led students and their families to treasure the school so much, helping it to continue its expansion across the Valley.
“The equally important aspect for us is to develop responsible citizens, so they become contributing members of society and their community,” said Dr. Anjum.
Now, that growth is bringing Self Development Academy right here to East Mesa.
The school will start in a temporary location. Next year, however, it will move to a brand new location built from the ground up by Self Development Academy.
While the academy began as a preschool more than 30 years ago, it has grown to a network of academies, with more than 700 students and multiple new locations in the works.
“Our whole philosophy was to have an integrated approach to learning, and we actually had a curriculum in those days,” said Dr. Anjum. “Nobody really thought about an integrative, horizontally-aligned, vertically-aligned curriculum for preschools. So, as the students started to grow, the parents saw them go to traditional schools, and then the charter movement came about. So, they put a lot of pressure on us to open a charter school because the students were so advanced.”
The nationally recognized school boasts a top ten ranking among all Arizona schools for the amount of curriculum it is able to provide students during the academic year. In addition, the academy teaches a grade level above Arizona standards, and consistently sees its students surpass the Arizona average on standardized testing.
Above and beyond its impressive well-rounded curriculum, the academy even offers a more challenging and accelerated path for its most motivated and gifted students. In middle school, Self Development Academy offers such high school courses as Geometry, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Advanced Literature.
In addition to academics, Self Development Academy prioritizes shaping its students into well-rounded individuals, with a variety of hands-on learning programs that go beyond the typical lesson plan. Students have the opportunity to participate in science labs, take percussion lessons and learn about technology integration.
Students also are encouraged to further develop their gifts with leadership opportunities through various clubs and after-school sports programs.
When they leave, students take their Self Development Academy experiences and dedication to the new school with them, sometimes even returning as teachers themselves.
“The students are just amazing,” said Dr. Anjum. “By the time they graduate and finish the eighth grade, they consider their group as a family. Even though they are moving on to the next level, they are bonded and very sad to leave,” the school founder continued. “Yet they are ready and confident to face the challenges awaiting them. They are so independent.”
For more information on the new Southeast Mesa location, please call (480) 641-2640, or visit selfdevelopmentacademy.com.