INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES ACADEMY

Intellectual Virtues Academy is a Title I public charter high school that is part of the Los Angeles County Office of Education school district, located in Long Beach, CA with about 61 students offering grade levels from 9th Grade to 12th Grade. A Title I school provides supplemental financial assistance to school districts for children from low-income families. Its purpose is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education. With about 3 teachers, Intellectual Virtues Academy has a student/teacher ratio of about 20:1. The national average for public schools is about 15:1. A lower student/teacher ratio is a key factor that determines how much a teacher can devote his/her time to each individual student thus improving, or reducing (in the event of a higher student/teacher ratio) the attention each student is given for their educational needs.

Intellectual Virtues Academy (IVA) is a public charter middle school located in Long Beach, California, that distinguishes itself through a unique educational philosophy centered on character development. Rather than focusing exclusively on standardized testing and rote memorization, the school emphasizes the cultivation of "intellectual virtues"—traits such as curiosity, open-mindedness, intellectual courage, and humility. By integrating these habits of mind directly into the curriculum, IVA aims to foster deep critical thinking skills and a lifelong passion for learning, preparing students to be thoughtful, reflective members of society.

The school’s environment is designed to support this specialized approach, often utilizing small-group discussions and collaborative projects to encourage students to analyze ideas from multiple perspectives. Because IVA operates as a charter school, it maintains a public mission while exercising the flexibility to implement its virtue-based pedagogy. Its location on Long Beach Boulevard serves as a community hub where the school actively works to create a culture of intellectual inquiry, teaching students not just what to think, but how to engage rigorously and ethically with the complex world around them.

For more information, contact Intellectual Virtues Academy at (562) 283-4456 or visit the school personally to speak with a faculty or administrative member about any specific questions you may have.