Flagship Programs

Good question! Our Outdoor Academy is The Pioneer School’s signature outdoor education program, where students develop confidence, leadership, resilience, and practical life skills through hands-on, project-based learning. Guided by caring mentors, students learn by doing—challenging themselves, serving others, and building meaningful connections with the natural world and their community.

Each year, students participate in a variety of outdoor adventures and real-world experiences that may include wilderness skills, nature studies, environmental stewardship, community service, fishing, hunter safety, air riflery, camping, homesteading, and STEAM-based projects. While the specific activities evolve from year to year, the mission remains the same: to cultivate capable, compassionate young people who are prepared to lead, solve problems, and make a positive impact wherever they go.

Student club members participate in Outdoor Academy during weekly school Flagship time on Wednesdays and Thursdays. There are occasional after school meetings, especially leading up to the camping trip, Passion Project In-house event and Academy Showcase. Unless there are extenuating circumstances beyond your control, members and their parent(s) are expected to attend the club camping trip. 

Depending on what the students choose for a fundraiser, there may be an after school or weekend commitment to conduct it.

The camping trip incurs additional costs for food and transportation, usually around $30 per person. 

For the student’s Passion Project, families are responsible for providing all of the supplies or equipment needed to do the project. 

How would you get across a lake without getting wet? This was the first big “problem” posed to college students in the 70s by Dr Samuel Micklus. His students designed and built elaborate and original solutions to this simple question. One of the solutions looked like a water bug trying to “walk” on water. It didn’t work in the end, but the idea was so creative, so out of the box, it has been the inspiration for the highest award a team or person can get in Odyssey- the Renatra Fusca Award, given for over-the-top creativity.  

Had Dr. Micklus just told his class to build a boat, that would have resulted in a bunch of kids re-working a preconceived design. But he, and now the entire Odyssey of the Mind program, pushed students much further, ultimately resulting in a world-wide program that gives kids the opportunity to solve their own problems in creative ways. Odyssey of the Mind firmly believes anyone can learn to think and problem-solve creatively. The program serves students as young as kindergarten all the way to college.  

Odyssey of the Mind is a STEAM project-based organization. A team of 7 students chooses from one of 5 “problems” (Vehicle, Technical, Classical, Structure or Dramatic) and spends months working on a creative solution which culminates in presenting it via an 8-minute skit at a competition in the spring, typically mid-February. This includes costumes, props, sets, technical elements, and anything else the team is required to build, such as a vehicle that can be dismantled and put into luggage, then moved and reassembled. 

Have a problem:

• Brainstorm potential solutions
• Choose the best solution
• Create a prototype
• Test the prototype
• Rework and rebuild
• Share

Attend Thursday and Friday team meeting/build days.  Have a positive and encouraging attitude throughout the problem-solving process.  Each team member will need to be willing to give 110% sometimes.  

Team members each work on the solution of the problem.  No one gets to stand to the side while others do the work (and why would you want to miss out on the fun anyway?☺).  Each team member is expected to attend all planning days, all build days and all rehearsals.  Every team member is crucial to the success of the team.  

1. Odyssey team members are expected to attend 3 skill-building events during the school year. These are on Saturdays and are announced in August. 
2. Each Odyssey team attends 1 “intensive” week leading up to Regional competition. An entire team will stay after school each day for one week to give a final push in building and rehearsal. These weeks are announced at the beginning of the season.
3. Every team member is required to attend Regional competition. This is always held on a Saturday in the spring and is announced at the beginning of the season. If the team qualifies, it is expected that the team will attend the State competition, held in Orlando in late spring. If a team qualifies for the World competition, the team will need to decide who will attend, but it won’t be required. (It is an absolutely incredible experience however and strongly encouraged. Fundraising will help defray costs) 

All fees for the program and competitions are covered by tuition. Sometimes team members purchase items for solving the problem.  They bring in the receipt and get reimbursed, which comes from the yearly fees paid.  

Should the team go to STATE and/or WORLD competition there will be costs for travel and lodging.  The teams are welcome and encouraged to do fund-raising for these competitions.  

This year (2024), anyone interested in the Odyssey of the Mind team spent the first 6 Flagship lessons learning more about the program and some basic tool use and safety. Potential team members worked to create activities and games for the Back-to-School carnival. They also learned about Spontaneous (on-the-spot) problems. Students are assessed on their baseline creativity, general attitude, and ability to work with a team, complete assignments, and follow safety rules. 

In Drama 2 students learn how to perform, act, do some singing and dancing, and about stagecraft in general. In the fall, students prepare to compete in the Florida Jr. Thespians District Festival. Pieces that do well at the District level go on to compete at the State level in Orlando in February. After State, Drama 2 students put on a school play that is performed in April or May. 

• You audition and have to be accepted into the program by choosing, rehearsing, and performing a monologue for the director, Ms. Cristina.
• Auditions are typically held the first week of school.
• Students in 4-H may have the opportunity to participate in the Spring play, either as an actor, or on the tech crew

New Drama 2 students- TBD

Returning Drama 2 students- TBD

Drama 2 takes up a considerable amount of time outside regular school, when we are in rehearsals. In the run up to our in-house, Thespians Districts, State, and our spring play you should expect to rehearse after school (usually on Mondays and Tuesdays- from 3:30 until 4:30, or 5.00, depending), in addition to learning and rehearsing your lines and scenes at home. Sometimes rehearsals run longer, and you should be prepared for that. We can’t function as a troupe and put on a play successfully without everyone being at rehearsals. Often students also like to rehearse during lunchtime and break at school- which isn’t required, but is the mark of dedicated and motivated actors. Our troupe members often just like to do it.

Tuition will cover your basic registration for Districts (@ $35) and State (@ $85) – assuming you qualify. You may need to pay the $5 event fee for each event you qualify to take to competition (maximum of 3 events for any participant). If you qualify for State, you will be expected to pay for your food for two or three days, and to pay for a hotel or Airbnb with your parent. If your parent can’t accompany you, they will need to find another Drama 2 parent who can take you along with them and their troupe member/ child. If you want to buy goodies from the stalls selling Broadway bling, you should bring extra money for that, too. 

The cost of your Flagship t-shirt will also be covered. Your parents are also welcome to buy a matching flagship shirt for $15. (Money from the t-shirt sales go directly to the Flagship.) We will collect shirt sizes in the first few weeks of school.  

You’ll need to buy or acquire some drama basics (your performance clothes): black t shirt (you will use your Flagship shirt), black or blue pants (no tears, no sweatpants), black socks, (ideally dark) lace up shoes/ sneakers you can dance and act in that won’t go ‘clunk’ on a wooden stage.