Biography of Argo Navis School
Argo Navis School is a progressive pre-K through middle school in Los Angeles, CA., that promotes an environment of joy and discovery in education. While traditional school systems focus on teaching children through textbooks, lectures, and exams, Argo believes education should be project-led and teacher-facilitated, emphasizing learning through exploration and creation. The school’s curriculum is guided by what students find most interesting in the world. From this launching point, all subjects, including math, science, history, and other subjects, are taught in an immersive Spanish-speaking environment. Argo Navis was founded by Ryanne Plaisance, a visionary leader whose goal was to tailor the school’s academic curriculum to the unique ways students learn best. Her educational model also considers both the students' emotional aptitude and their individual learning abilities. She believes that when a child’s emotional intelligence is elevated (that is, their relationships with others at home, school, or play), their academic performance is also elevated. An annual, three-week trip to Costa Rica places students directly in a Spanish-speaking culture. Regular contact with different cultures can help students learn the importance of tradition, inclusion, and engagement with people of all ethnic, racial, and cultural identities. Students leave the classroom often, exploring nearby communities and local attractions to learn by discovery instead of a textbook. The school is also unique because its learning path includes financial literacy, an essential life skill neglected in traditional learning models. Education Reimagined Argo Navis School is a next-level private school that considers all paths to student health and wellness. In the lunchroom, a vegetarian menu boasts healthy grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and a wide range of culturally unique main entrées. The school believes that smaller class sizes are critical to helping instructors manage the entire class and benefiting the students.