Middle school is where confidence is either built… or lost.

At Plant Street Academy, we’ve designed a program that helps students find their voice, think independently, and engage with the world around them—in a way that actually sticks.

This isn’t passive learning.
This is hands-on, discussion-driven, real-world growth.

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Unmuted: Communication That Actually Matters

Most speaking programs teach kids to perform.
We teach them to communicate.

In Unmuted Level 2, students practice real-life scenarios they will actually face:

• Explaining ideas clearly (like teaching a teammate or coworker)

• Presenting and demonstrating with confidence

• Leading conversations and directing a team

• Persuading without pressure

They build foundational skills like eye contact and body language, but the real growth comes from doing, not memorizing.

✔ Practical, not performative
✔ No pressure, just progress
✔ Skills that transfer to life, leadership, and relationships

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Inventions Lab: Think Like an Innovator

Why do we do things the way we do?
And what could be better?

Students explore the everyday inventions we take for granted and then challenge them.

They’ll:

• Discover the stories behind life-changing ideas

• Test how inventions worked when they were first created

• Brainstorm improvements and future innovations

• Collaborate in teams to solve real problems

Expect a lot of: “Wait… how did people live without this?”

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Civics & Activism: Learn It. Then Do It.

Students don’t just learn how the world works, they learn how to change it.

In this class, they:

• Explore how individuals have shaped history

• Understand local and national systems

• Identify issues they care about

• Build and present their own real-world campaigns

This is where students discover their voice—and learn how to use it.

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Philosophy for Teens: Think for Yourself

This is the class students don’t want to leave.

Through debates, real conversations, and thought-provoking scenarios, students explore:

• Big questions about life, leadership, and values

• What makes something right, wrong, or worth standing for

• How to form and defend their own ideas

No lectures. No scripts.
Just thinking, questioning, and discovering new perspectives.

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What Makes This Different

This program is designed to help students:
✔ Speak with confidence
✔ Think critically
✔ Lead with intention
✔ Engage with the real world

Because middle school isn’t just preparation for high school…
it’s preparation for life.

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Only 25 Students

We keep our groups intentionally small to create:

• A safe space to speak up

• Strong peer connections

• Real engagement and growth