The Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy

School Hours: 8:45am To 2:55pm

The Public Private Partnership School known as Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy is a voluntary school for fifth through eighth grade students not achieving at their grade level, have low self-esteem or have difficulty adjusting to a larger academic environment. Students learn through interactive experiences in the fields of management, marketing, retail sales, landscaping, agronomy and various other real-world business environments.

Overview

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Impacting The Future

Many students struggle with poor grades, low self-esteem, or adjusting to a traditional academic environment. At the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy, we are determined to positively impact the graduation rate of our community and prepare our students for success in the most important game of all. Life.

A Perfect Partnership

The Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation acts in partnership with Pinellas County Schools to offer this unique, public-private academy that serves grades 5 through 8. The public school system identifies children in need of our special surroundings. Pinellas County Schools also provides our teaching staff, safety security officer, transportation, food and curriculum. The Foundation provides the campus facility, Academy Director and Counselor, golf education and equipment, as well as classroom enrichment materials. The Golf Club delivers the real-life learning experience.

Preparing For Success At The Game Of Life

The Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy uses a holistic approach to education. We place an emphasis on:

Art
Retail
Landscaping
Golf

Mentoring Programs
Social Skills
Core Values
Business Skills

Playing With Purpose

Playing golf is a key ingredient in our nontraditional education program, where students grow in character, life skills, and academics. The game of golf does not require unusual size, speed, or strength for excellence. The sport does, however, require personal discipline, diligence, concentration, honesty, humility, and tenacity. Above all, golf teaches us that no matter what obstacles we encounter, there’s always a way to come out on top.

Living Classrooms

Through the Academy's Shadow Program our students spend time with adults in every department of the Golf Club and the Youth Foundation. We call these opportunities our living classrooms. While learning and performing various jobs, students apply basic educational skills like business, math, and reading in a real-life setting. Learning comes to life as students interact with education beyond the classroom.

Supportive Environment

In addition to our living classrooms, students thrive in a small-school atmosphere where they receive individual attention, counseling, student services, and specialized instructions. We maximize the resources that the students would receive at a mainstream school and then provide additional custom support.

How Students Qualify

The Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy currently has the capacity for 108 students to be enrolled in our program. They are all referred to us by the Pinellas County School System.

In order to be eligible for the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy, students must meet two or more of the following requirements:

Face academic challenges
Require additional assistance with social skills
Have poor school attendance
Lack of a strong family support system
Obtain some form of government assistance