Our Story
from
Colossal's Founder
Shiren Rattigan
Colossal Academy arose from the intersection of three needs.
The first was my own. As a young student that was dyslexic, I often felt out of place with the strict linear organization of school. It too often felt stifling and meaningless.
The second, as a teacher that worked across the spectrum of education, from public to elite private and Montessori and still felt like we weren't creating the vibrant, connected environment that would allow students to thrive.
The third need was as a parent who saw the same patterns of alienation taking hold in my young daughter.
I decided to start my own program.
As we so often do at Colossal, I dove in head first.
Check out this cute profile by Vela Foundation a few years back. Clearly we were onto something!
Our first school house was a yurt on a farm!
We've since upgraded the schoolhouse and we have three new locations across the Americas! The students still grow food in the back yard but we are always finding new ways to engage their curiosity and connect them to the world. They are ever more engaged in the community, winning real outcomes within local government, learning science through surfing and skating, and launch businesses--this last one proved to be a big development for Colossal.
Entrepreneurship has continually stood out.
We find that entrepreneurship is an ideal package for relevant education, connecting curiosity with the development of meaningful skills, honing a spirit of experimentation and resilience. Students light up at the prospect not just of earning money, but of being active participants in the creation of a brighter future and feeling real feedback on their progress.
Here are some students showing off their t-shirt designs at last year's fashion show. You can check out their independent t-shirt shops here.
Enter Colossal Online
We are continually looking for ways to expand our offerings and to serve more people. Many of our learners are non-traditional, doing hybrid learning, pursuing their passions or simply want the structure and community of school without having to be at a traditional school. This led to Colossal Academy Online. Our mission remains largely the same, to create vibrant, real-world engaged learning that allows students to transition into adulthood as active, enthusiastic members of society.
We're honored you paid us a visit here. We hope to see you soon on our collective education journeys.
The Future Is Bright!