Philosophy & Values

At LINC Academy we believe that students’ ability to excel is dependent upon a joyous learning environment surrounded by a team of educators who are committed to supporting their holistic development and growth. We believe all students have the potential to excel in learning and to lead their communities as change agents. LINC Academy draws inspiration from the latest research in neuroscience, restorative practices, self-determination theory, and transformational education theory.

Neuroscience and Student Development

LINC Academy recognizes the importance of linking the neuroscience of child development to its policies and practices. The brain exists to adapt, learn, and re-learn in a constant and ever-evolving world. Our brains can more readily grow in environments that are safe, challenging, and supportive. While schools exist within the greater ecosystem of a child’s world, they do play a great part in their socialization, understanding of the world, and personal development. Neuroscientists state that educators’ ability to create and sustain loving, warm, and welcoming classroom cultures greatly impact young people’s learning.

Restorative Practices

Restorative Practices aim to strengthen the relationships of individuals and greater community when harm is caused through a structured system of collective accountability. Restorative Practices are rooted in ancient, sacred, and Indigenous practices. In a school environment, these practices can replace punitive and harmful practices in order to help instill a sense of unity and protection that sustains the wellbeing of the school community. LINC Academy will utilize restorative conversations and circles to both discuss critical issues and repair harm after incidents between individuals or the community. Restorative Practices allows individuals to exercise their own agency to rebuild with the community instead of perpetuating a culture of compliance and control of traditional school settings. Lastly, Restorative Practices creates an environment that emphasizes learning from one’s mistakes and “learning out loud” instead of perpetuating a culture of shame and stigma.

Self Determination and Self Efficacy

An individual’s belief in their ability to succeed in life greatly influences how they think, act, and interact with the world. LINC Academy believes in the importance of “windows and mirrors.” Windows allow us to see what is possible in the world, and mirrors allow us to see ourselves in connection to others and allow us to determine our own sense of belonging and ownership.

Transformational Education®

One of the core tenets of LINC Academy is rooted in the Transformational Education model. Transformational Education describes the process where administrators and educators play equally essential roles as leaders within the community, which subsequently positively contribute to student performance, wellness, and development. While traditional school models believe and exercise a top-down model of leadership, LINC Academy believes in collective and distributed leadership where each individual is leading by example for young people.