Welcome! University Preparatory Academy (UPA) is a growing K-8 Public Charter school located in West Palm Beach, FL. UPA was established in 2015 to serve students in the Palm Beach area. With a focus on character, academics, and leadership, UPA promotes a holistic approach to educating students both inside and outside the classroom.
Our Principal
Dr. Mike Hill has been in education for nearly 20 years. He has served as a teacher and leader in both the public and private school sectors. Additionally, he has experienced success working at every level of education from preschool to college in both urban and rural school settings. He specializes in school growth, student achievement, and teacher development. With a combination of experiences in business, social behavior, and education, Dr. Hill considers himself to be an “edupreneur”. He is a native of Georgia where he earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Valdosta State University along with two degrees in sociology. Dr. Hill is committed to ensuring a high-quality educational experience for all students and believes that good character is the foundation of a good learner. One of his favorite quotes comes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he said, “Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think”. In his spare time, Dr. Hill enjoys spending time with family, weightlifting, woodworking, reading, writing and a host of outdoor activities.
Our Mission
The mission of University Preparatory Academy is to provide students with the academic, leadership and social skills that will enable them to attend and graduate from an institution of higher education.
Academic
UPA's academic program holds students accountable for academic success while providing structured support for challenged learners. At UPA, meeting the Florida State Standards is considered minimum, our focus is on college graduation and beyond.
Leadership
UPA believes every student has an innate
ability and desire to lead that is cultivated by their home, school, and community environments. UPA promotes the development of
leadership skills by establishing
high expectations and creating an
atmosphere of excellence.
Character
UPA seeks to impact students
beyond academic growth. Our desire is to build
positive character traits, social skills, and cultural capital
to help our students succeed
in every area of life. We do this by not only teaching students the knowledge they need, but "how" to use that knowledge in the most effective way.
Educational Service Provider
UPA is supported by Academica. Academica is one of the nation's longest-serving charter school service and support organizations. The company was founded in 1999 on the principle that each charter school is a unique educational environment governed by an independent board of directors that best knows the right path for its school. Academica's mission is to facilitate that governing board's vision.
Academica's services include facilities, finance, staffing and human resources coordiantion, as well as bookeeping, budgeting, regulatory compliance, and financial forecasting.
For more information, please visit
www.academica.org.
