Learning Academy.

Cultivating Confident, Creative, Compassionate Leaders

Located in Northeast Portland, KairosPDX Learning Academy serves children from Preschool through 5th grade. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, we provide a rigorous, healing-centered education rooted in love, empowering historically underserved communities to thrive.

Students engage in hands-on exploration, the arts, and meaningful relationships that spark curiosity, creativity, and connection. Our curriculum is rootted in student-centered instruction, developmentally appropriate practices, and culturally responsive teaching. Learning extends across intellectual, social-emotional, and physical domains, ensuring the whole child is supported.

  • KairosLOVE is grounded in two core values that shape our work with children:

    Safety and Respect: I care about you too much to harm you with my words or actions. Because of that, I commit to doing the personal work required to avoid shaming, threatening, or diminishing you in any way.
    Commitment to Growth: I am deeply invested in your long-term success—academically, socially, emotionally, and culturally.

    These values guide how we teach, connect, and grow with our leaders every day.

  • Community Action Sessions (CAS) were created based on the belief that high-quality extracurricular education should be accessible to all leaders, regardless of race, gender and socioeconomic status. CAS invites community partners to create direct access to rich and diverse learning in the following areas: Service Learning, STEM, Health & Wellness, and Arts & Culture.

  • As part of the KairosPDX Learning Academy, the Reflection Room centers on children’s wellness and social-emotional growth. Our team supports children through regular check-ins, mindfulness practices, and positive reinforcement (“bucket fills”), as well as by guiding de-escalation, redirection, and conflict resolution. The goal is to help our KairosPDX leaders build essential life skills as they grow.

  • At KairosPDX, we recognize that nutrition is foundational to lifelong well-being. We are committed to providing children and families with consistent access to healthy, nourishing, and culturally appropriate foods. Through our community garden, students engage in planting and harvesting, developing a deeper appreciation for where their food comes from and the diverse range of produce available. These hands-on experiences not only promote healthy eating habits but also celebrate cultural food traditions, connect families to meaningful recipes, and encourage environmental stewardship.

Cultivating Confidence

You will hear us call our students, leaders. We want to surround them with language that reminds them who they are and guides them with kindness, clarity, and high expectations. We balance structure with freedom, encouraging play, collaboration, and problem-solving. By giving children choices and responsibility, we help them grow into independent, confident learners.

Cultivating Creativity

You will see children spend much of their day exploring, creating, and imagining through play, art, and hands-on activities. We guide them in storytelling, problem-solving, and reflection, building creativity, empathy, and critical thinking. By listening, collaborating, and engaging at their level, we help students develop skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

Cultivating Compassion

You will see us ​model kind words​​. We model kindness, honesty, and empathy, showing children how to repair mistakes and express their feelings. We teach them to recognize and regulate their emotions, respond with care to others, and make choices that help them reach their goals. Rooted in love, patience, and accountability, we guide every child to grow, reflect, and thrive, knowing they want to succeed and make us proud.

KairosPDX Learning Academy Enrollment

Are you interested in having your child join KairosPDX Learning Academy? Every March, we host information sessions for families to learn more about our school and the application process for the upcoming school year (starting in August). Session dates are shared on our website every January.

If you are unable to apply during the March application window, you can still reach out to us by email or by phone at 503-567-9820. Our team will ensure you have access to an application and can answer any questions you may have.

Why KairosPDX is Different

KairosPDX is guided by the neuroscience of love and belonging, creating a school where every child feels seen, valued, and supported. Our work is centered around:

  • Anti-Racism

  • Resilience

  • Cultivation Rehumanization

  • Culturally-Affirming Blackness Education

    Our Model

    We rehumanize children through a research-based, anti-racist, and resiliency-focused approach. Our classrooms are designed to nurture emotional, social, and academic growth while honoring each child’s cultural identity.

KairosPDX Family Council

KairosPDX Family Council (KFC) intends to bridge the gap between families, leadership, and staff for families to work to strengthen the school community of KairosPDX by providing resources in community, playgroups, conversations, and connections to support education for all leaders. All KairosPDX families are invited to join and contribute their lived experience, knowledge, and skills to support the learning community.

Habits of Success

Enthusiasm for learning, and trying out ideas

Zest

Optimism

Ability to reflect on and expect good things

Discipline

Ability to follow through and fully engage

Empathy

Ability to connect and relate to others

Appreciation for what they have/do

Grit

Willingness to try again despite disappointment

Gratitude

Interest in the world and the possibilities around them

Self Control

Social emotional regulation

Curiousity

Take a closer look at our school requirements.