Intellectual Virtues Academy Blog

What Can I Do at IVA High?

Written by IVA High | Aug 24, 2023 6:43:45 PM

With more clubs per student and more field trips per year than even large private schools can offer, students at IVA High know how to have fun together. Our perfect small size and commitment to flexibility means that when you attend our tuition-free charter school, you’ll be able to build your own schedule of credit-earning extracurriculars that spark your interest–you aren’t limited to a traditional curriculum at IVA High. Here’s a sampling of what’s available to all 9th-12th grade students and how you can seek opportunities beyond our school, too. 

Student Clubs: By YOU, For YOU

IVA High clubs are different from other high school clubs you may have experienced. For one thing, they’re designed by you, for you! Just like our courses that expand and evolve with students, IVA High clubs are created based on student interest. Have an idea for a club? Find a few like minded people and we’ll find an advisor that can help grow your idea. Current and past clubs include:

  • Debate
  • Journalism
  • Drumming
  • Hip Hop Dance
  • Chess
  • Stock Market Club
  • Gaming
  • Spirit Squad and so much more!

Sports

We offer a variety of rotating club sports like cross country, basketball, weightlifting, volleyball and futsal throughout the year. Interested in a sport that isn’t currently offered at IVA High? We will do our best to help you find access to a team, we have many students who play on club and recreational teams outside of IVA high,  and you may even be able to earn PE credit for participating on those teams. Easy, flexible and personalized. 

Field Trips at IVA High

We love to connect students’ interests and curiosities with real-life experiences outside the walls of our school. Field trips are often connected to a project students are inquiring about in class, but some field trips are just about stepping outside and challenging ourselves, like the camping trips to Joshua Tree and Big Sur led by Ms. Makenna and Mr. Schmidt. Here are a few other favorite field trips we’ve taken over the years: 

  • Snowboarding at Big Bear
  • Aquarium of the Pacific
  • Disneyland
  • Knott’s Berry Farm
  • Laguna Beach’s Treasure Cove
  • Museum of Latin American Art
  • Women in STEM Conference
  • Long Beach ART Theatre

Events & Activities

Part of the family feel of IVA High is not only how well we work together in the classroom, but how well we play together, too. No two years are ever the same, as our students and staff love to plan events based on student interest, but some of the activities we’ve offered in the past include:

  • Dances
  • Dia de los Muertos
  • Exhibitions of Learning
  • Game Night
  • Movie Night
  • Spanish Club Fiesta
  • Student vs. Faculty games 
  • Taco Tuesdays
  • Talent Shows
  • Various tournaments (dodgeball, chess, basketball, & more)

There’s something for everyone at IVA High. What will you try out? Come find your place with us–we’re enrolling for Fall 2023 and we’d love to have you join us.

About IVA High

IVA High is a fully accredited, tuition-free public high school in Long Beach, California with a mission to empower students to think well: creatively, critically, and with a capacity for self-growth. Our learner-centered approach puts students in charge of their education, while dual enrollment and paid internships transform learning into action. Students come for college prep, STEAM and limitless options for their future; they stay for smaller, safer learning in a vibrant, caring community. Join us–we’re building curious minds & empowered communities.