Your Student's Year | Live2Create Leadership Academy

Enrolled Family Guide · 2026–2027

Your Student's Year.

Everything you need to understand what your student is learning, why they're learning it, and what to expect at every stage of the studio year.

School Year

Aug 2026 – May 2027

Grades

6th & 9th

Studio Cycles

4 Cycles · 6 Units

Location

Metro Atlanta, GA

Live2Create Leadership Academy

01 — A Note to Our Families

Welcome

You Made a Real Decision.

You didn't enroll your student in a school that looked the same as the last one. This guide is our commitment to keep you informed — clearly, honestly, and without jargon — about what your student is doing every day and why.

This is not a traditional school. You already knew that. But now that your student is here, you deserve a clear picture of what "not traditional" actually means in practice — what they're learning, how they're being assessed, what a typical week looks like, and what they'll have built by May.

This guide walks through all of it. Read it once now. Keep it nearby. Pull it out when your student comes home talking about a project you've never heard of, or when someone asks why there are no report cards.

The short answer to almost every question families ask: your student is getting a rigorous academic education and a formation experience that most schools don't offer at all. Both are happening simultaneously. Neither is being sacrificed for the other.

We are honored to be in this with you.

— Amy P. McIntosh, Founder & Head of School
Live2Create Leadership Academy

What This Guide Covers

The year at a glance · What your student learns in each subject · The six units and their projects · Leadership Tracks · How faith is woven in · How your student is assessed · What you'll see and when · Questions families ask most

Live2Create Leadership Academy

02 — The Year at a Glance

Studio Year Structure

Six Units. One Arc.

The year is organized into six thematic units — each with a driving question, a major project, and a clear connection to who your student is becoming. Every unit builds on the last.

Launch

Identity & Culture Build

Aug 17–28

Who are you before anyone tells you who to be?

The first two weeks aren't about academics — they're about culture. Students build community norms together, complete a strengths inventory, and begin their Personalized Learning Plan. No syllabi. No tests. Just honest self-observation and the beginning of trust.

PLP LaunchedStrength InventoryTrack Exploration

Unit 1

Who Am I, and What Do I Build?

Aug 31 – Oct 9

"Who am I, what was I made to create, and how does my story become something the world needs?"

Students produce their Origin Story Project — a multi-modal self-portrait of identity, gifts, and vision. Grade 6 creates an illustrated Story Map with a personal narrative. Grade 9 builds a full Origin Story Deck with a leadership track proposal and public presentation.

Project: Origin StoryPersonal NarrativeShowcase: Oct 9

Unit 2

How Does the World Work — and Where Do I Fit?

Oct 12 – Nov 20

"What systems shape the world I live in — and what is my role in changing or building within them?"

Students identify a real community problem, research it, interview someone affected by it, and present their findings as a visual map and written report. For Grade 9 this problem connects directly to their leadership track. The unit ends with a public Showcase Night — families are invited.

Project: Community Problem MapResearch WritingShowcase Night: Mid-Nov

Unit 3

What Breaks, and How Do You Fix It?

Nov 23 – Dec 18

"When something doesn't work — what does it take to diagnose the problem and build something better?"

Students apply design thinking to the problem they identified in Unit 2, moving from observation to solution. They build a prototype: a product, campaign, program, or tool. Grade 9 students present their prototype to at least one real adult outside the school and revise based on that feedback. Closes with the Winter Studio Exhibition.

Project: Design PrototypeArgument WritingWinter Exhibition: Dec 17

Unit 4

Who Came Before Me, and What Can I Learn?

Jan 5 – Feb 12

"Whose shoulders am I standing on — and what did it cost them to build what I now walk into?"

Students research a historical figure connected to their track and conduct a real conversation with a living mentor in their field. Grade 6 writes a biography and a reflection letter. Grade 9 writes a comparative analysis and a formal mentorship report. This is one of the most personally meaningful units of the year.

Project: Legacy + MentorshipBiographyMid-Year Retreat: Feb

Unit 5

What Can I Create That Matters?

Feb 23 – Apr 2

"Now that I know who I am and what the world needs — what will I actually make?"

The Signature Project. Students create something real inside their leadership track — a business pitch deck, an original art portfolio, a completed trades project, or a community campaign. This is the most student-directed work of the year. Grade 9 students get real feedback from outside the studio and revise.

Project: Signature ProjectTrack-SpecificStudent-Led Conf: Mar 1–5

Unit 6

Who Am I Becoming — and What's Next?

Apr 6 – May 14

"Looking at everything I've built this year — who am I becoming, and what am I ready for?"

Students curate their full year's portfolio, write a capstone reflection, and present publicly at the Spring Capstone Showcase — the most important day of the studio year. Grade 6 presents 10–12 min. Grade 9 presents 15–20 min with Q&A. Every student speaks for themselves. Every family is there.

Project: Capstone PortfolioFull PresentationCapstone Showcase: May 14

Special Weeks

Oct 5–9

Fall Leadership Intensive

3-day leadership lab + 1 community service day. Mixed-track teams, leadership challenges, guest mentors. Evening reflection session open to families.

Mar 1–5

Spring Reset Week

Student-Led Conferences replace a traditional parent-teacher meeting. Your student runs the meeting — they present their own PLP progress to you. Coaches facilitate. Plan to attend.

Live2Create Leadership Academy

03 — Academic Subjects

Core Academics

Four Subjects. One Integrated Year.

Your student covers Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies every week — aligned to Georgia standards, taught at their actual level, and connected to real-world context wherever possible.

✍🏽

English Language Arts

ELA is the spine of the curriculum. Every unit produces a major piece of writing and the writing mode changes each unit to build a full range of skills. Your student will write personal narratives, research reports, argumentative briefs, biographical analyses, professional documents, and a capstone reflection essay. Writing is never just an exercise — it's always toward a real audience and a real purpose.

Year Arc → Narrative · Research · Argument · Biography · Professional · Reflective

📐

Mathematics

Math runs on a mastery pathway — your student is placed at their actual skill level after a diagnostic in Week 1, not at their grade label. They advance when they demonstrate real understanding, not because the calendar moved forward. There are no letter grades in math — only mastery checks (short skill assessments) that confirm whether a concept has been genuinely learned. Every student's progress is documented in their PLP and updated quarterly.

Three Pathways → Pre-Algebra Foundations · Algebra I · Geometry/Algebra II

🔬

Science

Science builds from observation and inquiry outward. Early units focus on environmental systems, life science, and scientific thinking. Later units introduce engineering design, research methodology, and the history of scientific discovery — including who built the knowledge we use and who has been excluded from that story. Year-end, every student designs and runs a small investigation on a question they chose themselves.

Year Arc → Observation · Systems · Design · Discovery History · Student Investigation

🌍

Social Studies

Social Studies asks one question all year: how does history explain the world your student is standing in? The year moves from early civilizations and world geography through civics, economics, American history, and contemporary change-makers. Every unit connects history to the driving question students are working on — it's not a separate subject, it's the context that makes the project matter.

Year Arc → History as Story · Civics · Change-Makers · Modern Era · Civic Identity

What "Mastery-Based" Means for Your Family

No report card grades. Your student's academic progress is documented through mastery checks, portfolio artifacts, and the Learner Narrative — a written coach assessment delivered four times per year. Specific, honest, written to you as partners.

Placed at their real level. If your student enters with gaps from previous years, we address those gaps directly — starting where they actually are and building forward. This isn't a criticism of their previous school. It's the most respectful thing we can do.

Advancement when ready. A student who masters a concept ahead of schedule moves forward. One who needs more time gets it. Pacing is determined by understanding, not the calendar.

Georgia-aligned. All academic work is aligned to Georgia state standards for private schools. A student leaving Live2Create can re-enter a traditional school with documentation of their mastery levels and a portfolio of real work.

Live2Create Leadership Academy

04 — Leadership Tracks & Faith Formation

Leadership Tracks

The Lens Everything Else Runs Through.

Every student selects a Leadership Track — the pathway that shapes how they apply their learning, what real-world experiences they pursue, and what they build in their Signature Project. Tracks are explored in the first two weeks, committed to by Week 3, and can evolve year to year.

💡

Entrepreneurship

Students learn to see a problem, imagine a solution, and build something real. They study how businesses work, interview customers and founders, learn basic financial literacy, and spend the second half of the year developing and pitching an original business concept.

Observe businessesResearch marketsBuild a pitch deckPresent to real adults

🎨

Creative Arts

Students develop a real creative voice in a primary medium — visual art, design, photography, filmmaking, music, spoken word, or illustration. They study working artists, receive structured critique, and build a portfolio of original work across the year. The standard is not talent — it's intentional making.

Explore mediumsDevelop voiceBuild portfolioArtist statement

🔧

Trades & Technical Mastery

Students select a discipline — construction, culinary arts, coding, audio/video production, or another technical field — and develop genuine entry-level competence in it. They work with real tools, follow real safety protocols, and complete a finished applied project by year's end.

Safety + toolsFundamentalsApplied projectCertification path

✊🏾

Social Impact

For students who can't stop noticing what's wrong — and refuse to stop there. This track develops community organizing, campaign design, advocacy, and service leadership skills. Students learn how change actually happens and launch a real initiative or campaign by year's end. Good intentions are not enough — this track teaches strategy.

See clearlyUnderstand systemsDesign + launchImpact assessment

Faith & Character Formation

Not a Class. A Culture.

Faith at Live2Create is not a separate period. It is the spiritual layer of everything that happens — woven into how the day starts, how difficulty is processed, and what questions the community takes seriously.

Morning Grounding (Daily, 8:00–8:30). Every day begins with a 30-minute grounding session — scripture or reflection, a real question, silent journal time, and an intention for the day. Students are never required to claim belief. They are required to engage honestly with the question.

Leadership Circle (Thursday afternoons). The weekly space where faith intersects directly with what students are experiencing — in their projects, their relationships, and their questions about who they're becoming.

The year's spiritual arc. Fall: Who did God make me to be? Winter: Where is God when things break? Spring: What does it mean to live on purpose? Each season connects directly to the unit work happening at the same time.

The Grounding Journal. Every student keeps a personal journal all year. It is never read without permission. Twice per year, students select entries to include in their portfolio — with a reflection on what they were thinking then and what they see now.

Live2Create Leadership Academy

05 — How We Assess Growth

Assessment

No Report Cards. Real Evidence.

Your student is assessed continuously — through the work they produce, the mastery they demonstrate, and what their coach observes every day. Four times a year, that assessment is formalized and delivered to you.

Replaces the Report Card

Learner Narrative

A 400–700 word written assessment authored by your student's coach — delivered four times per year. It covers academic progress by subject, project quality, leadership track development, and a specific observation about who your student is becoming. It is never generic. Specific to your student. Honest about both strengths and gaps.

Replaces the Grade Book

Personalized Learning Plan

The PLP is the living document that tracks your student's academic mastery levels, project goals, track progress, and personal formation intentions. Co-created with your student at the start of the year and updated every quarter. Your student owns it — they learn to track and take responsibility for their own progress.

Replaces Tests

Portfolio of Work

A growing collection of real artifacts — drafts and final versions, research notes, project documentation, journal entries, and finished work. By May, your student has six major project artifacts plus academic work in all four subjects. Displayed at the Winter Exhibition and presented at the Capstone Showcase.

Replaces Parent-Teacher Conference

PLP Family Review

Four times per year, you sit down with your student and their coach to review the PLP together. Your student leads the conversation — they explain where they are, what they've done, and what they're working toward. These meetings are designed to leave you with clarity and direction, not anxiety.

Your Assessment Calendar — Put These on Your Calendar Now

October

Q1 Learner Narrative + PLP Review

Mid-Nov

Project Showcase Night

Dec 15–17

Q2 Narrative + PLP Review

Dec 17

Winter Studio Exhibition

Mar 1–5

Student-Led Conference

May 14

Spring Capstone Showcase

By May 27

Year-End Narrative Delivered

The Capstone Showcase — What to Expect on May 14

May 14 is the most important day of the year. Your student will stand in front of an audience — coaches, families, community partners, and mentors — and present their full body of work. Not a summary of it. The work itself, with their voice explaining what it means.

Grade 6 students present for 10–12 minutes with 3 minutes of Q&A. Grade 9 students present for 15–20 minutes with 5 minutes of Q&A. Every student is prepared. No one is thrown onto a stage cold.

What your student will show you. Who they were in August. Three specific things they built and what those things reveal. One honest challenge and what it required. Where they're headed next. This is not a performance — it's a student standing behind what they've made.

Within five days of the Showcase, every student receives a personal written letter from their coach — specific to them, not a template — about what stood out and what the coach sees in them going forward.

Live2Create Leadership Academy

06 — Questions Families Ask

Real Questions

We'd Rather Answer These Here.

These are the questions families ask most once their student has been enrolled for a few weeks. We're not waiting for you to wonder.

My student says they're not doing "real school." Should I be worried?

This is one of the most common things we hear in October. What your student means is: it doesn't feel like school used to feel. That's accurate — and intentional. They are covering Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies every week, aligned to Georgia standards. They're also building real projects, developing real skills, and being asked real questions about who they are. That's not less rigorous. It's more demanding in ways that take time to get used to.

What if my student falls behind in math?

We catch it immediately. The Week 1 math placement inventory exists precisely to prevent students from sitting in content they're not ready for. If your student has gaps, we address them from their actual level. You'll see exactly where they are in their PLP, updated quarterly. A student working at the right level makes more real progress than one sitting through content that's too advanced or too easy.

My student isn't talking much about what they're doing. How do I know what's happening?

The Learner Narrative gives you a specific, coach-authored picture four times a year. Your quarterly PLP review is a 30–45 minute conversation with your student and their coach — you'll hear more there than in a month of asking "how was school?" The Student-Led Conference in March is especially powerful: your student runs that meeting themselves. Between those touchpoints, your coach is reachable via Newton within 48 hours.

What does my student do during field experience days?

Tuesdays and Thursdays include off-site experiences aligned to their leadership track — visiting a business, shadowing a professional, attending a community event, or working with a partner organization. Students go with a prepared purpose and come back with something documented. Live2Create provides all transportation. You never need to coordinate field day logistics.

How do I support my student's learning at home?

Ask about the project, not the homework. "What are you building right now? What's the hardest part? What did your coach say about it?" These questions open more than "did you finish your work?" Knowing your student's current PLP goals lets you reinforce them naturally without turning home into a tutoring session.

My student chose a Leadership Track. Can they switch?

At the end of each year, every student evaluates their track: does this still fit? Mid-year changes are rare and handled case-by-case with the coach. A student who discovers mid-year that they love problem-solving and wants to move from Creative Arts to Social Impact is doing exactly what this model is designed for. That's growth, not instability.

My student says they have a "Grounding Journal." What is that?

Every day begins with a 30-minute Morning Grounding session — reflection, a journal prompt, and quiet writing time. The journal is personal and never read without permission. Twice per year students choose entries to include in their portfolio with a short reflection. It's one of the practices students most consistently say they're glad existed by the time they reach the Capstone Showcase.

What does my student walk away with at year's end?

A curated portfolio of six major projects. A mastery transcript documenting skill levels across all four subjects. A year-end Learner Narrative. Leadership track development with field experience documentation. And a Capstone presentation they gave in front of a real audience — evidence that they can stand behind what they've built and speak for themselves.

Your coach is your primary contact.

Questions about your student's progress, projects, or wellbeing go directly to their coach via Newton. Response within 48 hours is the standard. If something is urgent, reach out the same day. We are a small school by design — you are never a ticket in a queue.

We're Glad
You're Here.

Your student didn't just enroll in a school. They entered a community that believes they were made on purpose, for a purpose — and that the work of growing into that purpose is worth doing with rigor, honesty, and faith.

Website

live2create.org

Primary Contact

Newton App

Capstone Showcase

May 14, 2027