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REALM Creative Academy
REALM, nominated by Clayton Christensen Institute, is an elementary/middle/high school in Santa Monica, California, that describes itself as an independent (private) school serving learners from a primarily urban area.
Location Santa Monica, California
Governance Independent (Private) School
Grades Elementary, Middle, High
Students 164
Locale Urban
Founding Director Jessica Slayback
Demographics
Percentage of students*
2%
English Learners
—
Free/Reduced Lunch
19%
Students with Disabilities
African American or Black 28%
American Indian/Alaska Native 2%
Asian 6%
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 1%
Hispanic or Latino 4%
White 56%
2+ Races —
Why REALM Creative Academy was nominated
REALM has offers families a flexible bundle of learning options that can range from 1-2 classes in an area of interest to all-day schooling. Learning and relationships are joyful and inspiring.
Student experience design
At REALM, the student experience is designed around a simple but powerful belief: young people thrive when they have meaningful choice, real challenge, and a deep sense of belonging. Students at REALM are not passive recipients of instruction, they are active designers of their learning lives. Each learner builds a personalized schedule from a wide ecosystem of offerings, shaping their days around their interests, goals, and curiosities. There is no one-size-fits-all path, no rigid grade-level constraints, and no fixed sequence that every child must follow. Instead, REALM functions as a dynamic learning ecosystem, a “marketplace of ideas," where students engage in interdisciplinary classes, creative projects, and real-world experiences. A student’s week might include writing workshops, engineering challenges, philosophy discussions, art studios, and collaborative builds, each chosen with intention and evolving over time. This level of autonomy is paired with meaningful challenge. Students are consistently invited to think deeply, create authentically, and stretch beyond their comfort zones. Learning is not about compliance or completion, it is about developing voice, agency, and capability. Equally important is the sense of community. REALM is intentionally designed to be a place where students feel known, valued, and connected. Our learners come from a wide range of backgrounds: homeschoolers, public and private school students, neurodivergent learners, and those rebuilding their relationship with education. What unites them is a shared experience of belonging and the freedom to be fully themselves. Ultimately, the REALM experience is one where students learn how to learn, how to make meaningful choices, and how to design lives rooted in curiosity, purpose, and contribution.
Core Practices
| Core Practices | Length of Use |
|---|---|
|
Individual Learning Paths |
5+ years
|
All Practices
Adaptive Learning Software
Advancement On Mastery
Student Advisories
AI Literacy
AI For Learning Materials
AI For Teacher Productivity
Anti-racist Practices
Apprenticeships
Assessments For Agency And Self-directed Learning
Assessments For Deeper Learning
Assessments For Social-emotional Skills
Blended Learning
Career Advising & Support
Client Projects
Co-leadership
Community And Workforce Partnerships
Family And Community Support Services
Competency/mastery-based Education
Culturally Responsive Practices
Early College High School
Extended Learning Time
Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles
All Courses Designed For Inclusion
Educators Have Industry Experience
Industry-aligned Learning Pathways
Individual Learner Profiles
Mental Health Services
1:1 Mentoring
Multi-age Classrooms
No Tracked Classes
Project-based Learning
Peer To Peer Support
Performance Based Assessment
Reallocation Of Resources For Students Most In Need
Restorative Practices
School-based Enterprises
SEL Curriculum
SEL Integration School-wide
Service Learning
Student-led Conferences
Students Access Their Own Data
Student-led Goal Setting
Self-paced Learning
Students Develop Projects
Trauma-informed Practices
Tutoring
Universal Design For Learning
Career Prep
key reasons for innovating
Demonstrate what’s possible for other schools
Increase student agency
Increase teacher agency
Date Updated: 4/1/2026
*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.