Program Profiles: Tampa Bay Education Guide Special Feature

From state-of-the-art technology to old-fashioned Socratic sessions by a lakeside, there’s a school, a method and an academic home for your children in Tampa Bay. Check out some of these exciting and enriching programs from local schools.

Berkeley Preparatory School

Berkeley Preparatory School is a highly regarded co-ed independent day school in Tampa that serves students in Pre-K through grade 12. Berkeley provides a safe, nurturing environment featuring inspiring teaching, engaged parents and alumni and outstanding resources, including incomparable facilities on a beautiful 86-acre campus.

An exceptional and diverse community of learners follows personalized paths within a supportive culture, the school’s Episcopal identity, its ongoing commitment to continual self-improvement, and a deeply authentic dedication to making a positive difference in the world. Whether it’s through learning Chinese, playing football or the bagpipes, studying art in Italy, or distributing water filters in the Dominican Republic, Berkeley students grow both inside and outside the classroom. Through dozens of clubs and electives, students discover and pursue their passions and talents.

All Lower Division students take Spanish classes and thrive in spaces such as the Pagidipati Center for Science, Engineering, and Technology. Middle Division Community Service Days happen throughout the school year and show students firsthand the importance of giving back.

Upper Division students flourish in an atmosphere akin to a small liberal arts college under the guidance of inspiring educators from all over the world. Berkeley offers 36 honors courses, 29 AP courses, and 10 Post-AP courses. Musicians, singers, actors and dancers will shine in the state-of-the-art Lykes Center for the Arts. Students can broaden their horizons through their unique Global Scholars Program, as well as the Center for Advanced Experiential Learning, which features institutes that focus on business, law, health sciences, advanced experiential biology and national security.

Berkeley provides a full range of varsity and junior varsity teams in the Middle and Upper Divisions. A 3A school and member of the Florida High School Athletic Association and the Florida West Coast League, Berkeley has won more than 70 FHSAA Academic Team State Championships.

As an Episcopal school, Berkeley embraces students from all faiths, traditions and perspectives. Every Berkeley student is accepted and appreciated. That’s why you’ll find no homecoming kings, no prom queens, no valedictorians and no class ranks. They truly are “One Berkeley.”

Corbett Preparatory School of IDS

Since 1968, Corbett Prep has taught generations of students in a uniquely child-centered culture and community. At the heart of the Corbett Prep experience are the positive, supportive relationships between students and teachers. Located on a beautiful 15-acre lakeside campus, Corbett Prep offers the International Baccalaureate Programme for all PreK3-8th grade students. Teachers use research-based strategies to engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. In this extraordinary learning environment, a social-emotional curriculum provides the framework for student mindfulness and wellbeing with opportunities to discover and develop individual areas of giftedness for all students academics with joy and challenge; robust visual and performing arts classes; a dedicated Application Lab for experiential learning in STEAM; a competitive middle school athletics program and strong physical education curriculum; and emphasis on leadership and international-mindedness.

Through a diverse, multicultural student body as well as partnerships with schools around the world, Corbett Prep students grow in intercultural appreciation and understanding. Corbett Prep parents enjoy strong, often lifelong, connections with teachers, staff, and other families. The Parent-Faculty Association and the All Pro Dads Club provide opportunities for involvement and social activities open to the school community.

Graduates often say that at Corbett Prep, they learned and practiced the life skills they needed for success in high school and beyond. Alumni work respectfully and productively with those from different backgrounds and cultures, use a growth mindset to approach and solve problems and take on leadership roles with the confidence, poise, and presence honed at Corbett Prep.

Shorecrest Preparatory School

Shorecrest is celebrating its centennial this year! Since their founding in 1923, Shorecrest Preparatory School has been a vital part of the fabric of St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay Area. What began as a modest outdoor school for seasonal visitors is now one of the top schools in the state of Florida, educating a diverse community of more than 1,000 students from 3 years old through 12th grade.

While much of Shorecrest has evolved and changed over the last century, exceptional faculty, dedication to academic excellence and a close-knit community remain hallmarks of the Shorecrest experience. The school has been named an Apple Distinguished School for three consecutive cycles.

At Shorecrest, students will be known, challenged, and cared for by dedicated and experienced faculty and staff. Established in 2023, the Ross Roeder Institute for Financial Literacy, Economics, Entrepreneurship offers enhanced economics and financial literacy electives in the Middle and Upper Schools, with the vision to extend programming schoolwide. Reggio Emilia inspired learning serves students in the Experiential School, the premier early childhood program for students ages 3-5.

Students experience a breadth and depth of subjects, topics and academic and co-curricular experiences. A competitive and robust athletic program serves students from sixth to 12th grades. Chargers Athletic Teams fare well in competition across a wide variety of sports. Recent highlights include back-to-back football state championships, a state semifinals appearance by girls varsity soccer, and multiple individual state appearances in track and field, tennis and golf.

Students of all ages have opportunities to experience the arts in a variety of forms, with the ability to specialize in a particular craft—from painting to musical theatre—as they progress through the PK-12 program.

Shorecrest is for students who enjoy learning and pursue it continuously, for students who know how to think critically and creatively, solve real-word problems, understand and appreciate people and experiences that are different from them, and make a positive impact on their families, communities and the world. Families have numerous opportunities to get involved on campus. Shorecrest puts students at the heart of all decisions—from curriculum to campus.

St. John’s Episcopal Parish Day School

Located in the heart of Tampa, St. John’s Episcopal School delivers an unparalleled, values-driven, progressive education for children in Pre-K4 through Grade 8. Populated by a rich variety of individuals from increasingly diverse religious, cultural and economic backgrounds, St. John’s is the region’s oldest Episcopal school. Distinguished by more than 70 years of demonstrated success, they prepare children for lives of learning and service. They hold an uncompromising belief in the potential of children and the sanctity of childhood.

St. John’s believes that education has a higher purpose, one their faculty and staff are compelled to serve. Their curriculum is focused on the development of the whole child through an interdisciplinary program that honors tradition and fosters innovation. Creative field trips, cutting-edge technology, thoughtful divinity lessons, and quality visiting authors and artists enhance the traditional curriculum during the school day. Winning athletics and extra-curricular activities reinforce the School’s values after the school day ends. Combined, they create a well-rounded St. John’s student, ready to take on a world of limitless possibilities.

Hard work, faith, respect, honesty and a commitment to excellence allow graduates to thrive in high school, college and beyond. St. John’s families become part of a community in which the school-parent partnership is encouraged in raising their children. The Parents’ Association and Dads’ Club support the mission and strategic goals of the school, encouraging parent involvement by promoting community among SJE families. A feeling of positive energy, inclusiveness, optimism, respect and kindness permeates the school. Without exception, St. John’s students are ‘Empowered to Lead, Inspired to Serve.’

Victory Charter School Tampa

Victory Charter Tampa is a candidate for the IB PYP and MYP programmes. They are committed to providing students with the highest quality educational program in a state-of-the-art facility. Their goal is to educate the child holistically to promote academic, social, emotional and ethical growth and development.

Victory Charter Tampa encourages student inventiveness and creativity. They nurture student experiential learning and increase faculty freedom and creativity in instructional methodologies and classroom organization. Their methods promote a foundation for inquisitive, life-long learning.

Victory Charter’s mission is to awaken and develop the socially responsible, technologically literate and self-motivated leader within ALL students via an innovative, internationally focused and student-centered curriculum that challenges students intellectually, creatively and personally in a nurturing and safe environment that promotes the development of the total child so that they can be successful in an interconnected global community.

Westlake Christian School

For nearly 30 years, Westlake Christian School has developed and maintained a unique blend of faith, academics, and community within a best practices, college preparatory environment. The school believes in a multifaceted school experience with faith formation, academics, visual arts, athletics, technology, and leadership development as key areas.

Families enjoy a school committed to serving every child and family. Westlake graduates are versatile, well-prepared, and flourish. Westlake is proud to hold accreditation through the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Cognia and is a member school of the Association of Christian Schools International.