n a world where technological advancements are changing how we live and learn, we believe

education can help young people lead happy, healthy lives and make the world a better place.

But for this belief to be realized, education needs to undergo the same kind of rapid

advancement as other social constructs in our society like transportation, healthcare,

commerce, and telecommunication. According to Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, China’s e-commerce

giant, “If we do not change the way we teach, 30 years from now, we’re going to be in trouble.”

We agree, which is why we started Tahoe Expedition Academy in 2011. By focusing on real-world application,

life skills and character as much as academic knowledge, TEA is providing students with the tools and

expertise to thrive in the new economy.

Watch TEA students in action, starting at the age of three, and you will see young people engaged with

world’s most pressing challenges. Just ask one of our Kindergarten students about their stewardship

efforts to save an endangered species. Or, ask one of our second-grade students about their empathy and

collaboration to help a Native American tribe keep their language alive.

Driven by a process of iteration and a culture of growth, we are designing the kind of education young people

deserve. Powered by Constructive Adversity®, we are committed to helping generations become the change

makers and caretakers our world needs.

With this mission to inspire and empower young people as the single focus of our efforts, TEA will become

more than a world-class school on a world-class campus in a world-class location. TEA will adapt and evolve

with the world around us. And with our committed and talented TEAm, we will continue to strengthen and

expand the TEA magic to benefit our students and thousands more in the years to come.

Sincerely,

I

Taylor Simmers, Co-Founder

NOW IS THE TIME FOR A CHANGE IN EDUCATION

Dear CommuniTEA,

I I .

TEA’S VISION: EMPOWERING GENERATIONS OF PROBLEM SOLVERS

TEA: A WORLD CLASS SCHOOL IN TAHOE AND MORE TO COME

TEA’S MISSION: THRIVE IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORLD

TEA CHARACTER VALUES: BUILDING CHARACTER FOR A BETTER WORLD

TEA is a fully accredited school committed to changing

the face of education and empowering a new generation

of confident and creative problem solvers with a social

conscience.

Powered by Constructive Adversity®, TEA’s forward thinking

educational design combines academic excellence, character

building, and real world adventures to develop confident and

creative problem solvers who thrive in and contribute to

dynamic and challenging environments.

We live our character values every day. From our Board, to

our staff, to our current and future students and parents,

these attributes define us and ensure we are proactively and

purposefully building character for a better world.

• Creativity: Interdisciplinary, design thinking, innovation

• Craftsmanship: refining and polishing work over time, exhibiting a growth mindset

• Collaboration: teamwork, work ethic, compromise

• Perseverance: hardiness and resilience

• Responsibility: owning your role and actions

HABITS OF SCHOLARSHIP

• Stewardship: taking care of the environment

• Advocacy: support for others and speaking up for oneself

• Gratitude: showing appreciation for what we have, for others and for the world around us

• Empathy: demonstrating compassion and care for the well being of others

HABITS OF CONSCIENCE

I I I .

BIOCHEMISTRY CREATES LASTING LESSONS AND MEMORIES

HARDWIRING THE BRAIN FOR DIVERGENT THINKING

There are three primary categories of brain science

that support our modern experiential approach called Constructive Adversity®:

R E S E A R C H S U M M A R Y

Adrenaline secreted during challenging and thrilling experiences burns the experience,

memory and information into the long term memory bank. The limbic system includes

the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, the amygdala, and other important brain structures

that govern emotional responses, behavior, and long-term memory. The release of

adrenaline increases levels of activity in these areas of the brain and has been associated

with improved memory.

R E S O U R C E S :

brainconnection.brainhq.com/2008/08/26/a-mixed-blessing-for-memory-stress-and-the-brain/

R E S E A R C H S U M M A R Y

As a person gains new experiences, some synapses are kept and strengthened while

others are eliminated. Synapses that are activated more often are preserved. Neurons

that do not receive or transmit information gets damaged and die through apoptosis, a

process termed synaptic pruning. By developing new connections and getting rid of weak

ones, the brain adapts to the ever changing environment.

R E S O U R C E S :

https://www.star2.com/living/viewpoints/2015/08/02/your-brain-changes-with-every-new-

experience/#j0h2g7qIRJypjS30.99

R E S E A R C H S U M M A R Y

Instead, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, well-known early childhood

specialists, argue that today’s young people must complement content knowledge

with skills like collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creative innovation

and confidence. With the total corpus of information doubling every two-and-a-half

years, our children will only become successful adults if they can readily adapt to new

circumstances and make meaning from new information.

R E S O U R C E S :

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2014/05/20/kick-back-relax-and-help-

your-children-develop-neural-pathways/

1

2

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE TEA MAGIC: A NATURAL WAY TO LEARN

HAPPINESS, CONFIDENCE AND SUCCESSFUL LEARNING COME FROM RISK TAKING

R E S E A R C H S U M M A R Y

Positive psychologists, Robert Biswas-Diener and Todd Kashdan, claim that truly happy

people understand “happiness is not just about doing things that you like. It also requires

growth and adventuring beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone.”

R E S O U R C E S :

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201307/what-happy-people-do-differently

R E S E A R C H S U M M A R Y

“The willingness to take risks is an important characteristic of an effective learner.”

R E S O U R C E S :

https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/digital_assets/291/LDAllaboutRisk.pdf

3

I V .

• TEA is an active 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

• TEA is fully accredited by the Western Association of

Schools and Colleges (WASC) for Pre-K-12th grades

until 2024

• TEA is an active member of the EL Education Network,

started by Outward Bound and the Harvard Graduate

School of Education 25 years ago

• TEA uses national academic standards as foundational

pieces of the program: Common Core State Standards,

Next Generation Science Standards, Art and Music

Standards, National Social Science Standards and

National Foreign Language Standards

• All High school courses are University of California

A-G approved

S T A F F :

• 36 full time faculty and staff - hired nationally

• 6:1 student to teacher ratio in 2017-18

S T U D E N T B O D Y :

• 2011: 72 students in Pre-K-8th grades; 2017: 180 in

Pre-K-12th grades

• Projected enrollment is 225 students for 2018-19 and

275 students for 2019-2020.

• Financial assistance (FLEX Tuition) awards total over

$800,000 in 2017-18 and $1,000,000 in 2018-19, with

over 33% of families receiving financial assistance

and faculty/staff receiving free tuition for their

children.

• TEA enrolls students from Reno, NV and Truckee

and North Tahoe, CA. Many families have moved to

the area to attend the school from places like the

NYC, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Southern

California and Europe.

TEA FUNDAMENTALS: BUILDING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION

V .

STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND THE TEA MAGIC

THRIVE FINANCIALLY

BUILD WORLD CLASS CAMPUS FOR THE SCHOOL, THE COMMUNITY AND THE REGION

RECRUIT, GROW, AND RETAIN A POWERHOUSE TEACHING STAFF

OBTAIN, DEVELOP, AND SUSTAIN VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

We are building a school that develops change makers, empowers future leaders, and cultivates lifelong passions. To

accomplish this goal, we have aligned every inch of our organization to the stated path forward and the five following goals:

We are committed to being creative problems solvers with a social conscience who are addressing one of the world’s

challenges by updating education for today’s world. To do so, we aspire to reach thousands of students, teachers and

leaders through innovative and scalable educational programs, products and services as well as partnerships with like

minded organizations and corporations.

We plan for today and create a foundation for the foreseeable future. All of our planning is fiscally responsible in order

to reach our stated goals and to develop a sustainable business with strong and diversified revenue sources.

Along with the Martis Valley Education Foundation, we are currently building a world class campus in world class

location that will serve as a home for TEA as well as an integral community resource that will add value and recognition

to the region.

Our teachers don’t just teach - they guide and challenge, support and engage students in much more than classroom

academic excellence. They cultivate character development and create real world adventures that open doors,

create opportunities, inspire passion, and most importantly, facilitate a lifetime love of learning in our students. We

are committed to finding, developing and retaining the most highly qualified and passionate individuals to teach our

students and develop a progressive experiential program that has reach beyond our first school.

Our culture, programming and existence are as good as the people involved. We strive to enrich the lives of all the

people that are a part of TEA. Equally, we desire our community to demand and deliver exceptional contributions to

the growth and success of our school. Our culture is one in which people want to work at TEA in order to be their best

selves and deliver great work. It is in our DNA to develop our people and help them to succeed.

GOAL 1

GOAL 2

GOAL 3

GOAL 4

GOAL 5

TEA’S STRATEGIC PLAN: A ROADMAP TO SCALE

V .

Recruiting the right and best students and families is a top priority. Since the school’s inception, we have nearly tripled

our student population with students and families who are interested in a more relevant, purposeful and engaging

learning environment.

We continue to recruit locally and from Reno as well as drive traffic and interest from the region and nation in order

to take advantage of the migration to the pristine Tahoe environment from large metropolises like the Bay Area and

Southern California. This year, nearly 50% of our interest and enrollment will come from outside the area, which is

exactly what we wanted to achieve with a campaign we launched 3 years ago.

The best recruiters are our existing families. Word of mouth is key to our success, which is why our Net Promoter Score

of 9.2/10 in 2017-18 school year by current families is such an integral part of our recruiting plan.

Simply, our happy students and families result in marketing success.

• 225 students in 2018/19 and 275 students in 2019/20

• $250,000 in non-tuition revenue in 2018, $330,000 in 2019

• 31% Truckee / Incline Village / North Lake Tahoe

• 24% Bay Area

• 17% Reno

• 11% Southern California

• 5% Other California

• 12% Other Nationally

• 30-45 parent, $200K HHI, active, has visited or lives in Tahoe

• 45-65 parent/grandparent, affluent, Tahoe-area property owner

• 12-18 interested in travel/science/outdoors/media

• 117% increase in website visitation

• 145% increase in social media impressions

• 103% increase in admissions inquiries

• 80% increase in enrollment

• 224% increase in non-tuition revenue

TOPLINE MARKETING GOALS

INQUIRIES BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION

DEMOGRAPHIC TARGETS

GROWTH TRENDS FROM 2016 TO 2018

RECRUITING PLAN: HAPPY STUDENTS AND FAMILIES = MARKETING SUCCESS

V .

TEA continues to grow and develop as a sustainable business with a strong plan and a solid business team in place.

The TEAm includes expertise in financial planning and accounting on the Board of Trustees, a strong group of advisors

and auditing consultants as well as dedicated finance, fundraising and operations staff.

Currently, the school is managing to budget, with years of history and data with which to compare and forecast

financial data.

• Audited Financials Each Year by Kohn and Company, LLP

• Managing to Budget Annually

• Completed 5 year Pro Forma for financial modeling and projections

• To date $25M+ of Funding by Major Donors for Start-Up

Funding, Facilities Development and Scholarships

• 2017-18 Targets

• Annual Fund $500k target

• Major Gifts campaign $14M target

• Short term goal is to continue to increase Alternative Revenue

sources by adding new programs and offerings to take advantage

of the world class Martis Basecamp location

• 400+ participants in summer camps in 2016-17, up from 300+ in

2015-16

• Access to our new world class campus will provide endless

opportunities for growth in this area. New offerings will include:

After School Clubs, Adult Adventure Camps, Tutoring, Executive

Retreats and Conference

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:

FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS AND TARGETS

ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCES:

FINANCIAL PLAN: THE PATH FORWARD IS CLEAR

V .

FINANCIAL PLAN: BUDGET OVERVIEW

V .

Our number one goal is to build a world class campus in our world class location that serves as a campus for TEA, a

benefit to the community and a place to drive innovation in education on a national level.

To do this, TEA is actively developing a 42 acre campus in the Martis Valley in partnership with the Martis Valley

Education Foundation (MVEF), a public charity started to develop and protect this truly world class campus.

Land acquisition completed for $4M.

Infrastructure completed in fall for $6M

Semi-permanent modulars spaces of

4,000 sq ft. moved onto campus and 75 students

and teachers using this site.

The first signature building of 7,000 sq. ft.

projected completion, which will be used for a

variety of exciting community based activities.

Projected completion of athletic field.

We are actively fundraising for subsequent

world class buildings and amenities to bring

together our entire school communiTEA for

the fall of 2018.

2016

2017

FALL 2017

SPRING 2018

SUMMER 2018

FACILITIES PLAN: A WORLD CLASS CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT IN A WORLD CLASS LOCATION

V I .

TEA has built an internal and external team of experts to guide and lead the school now and into the future. We are

committed to hiring the best administrators and teachers. We are committed to create an exceptional learning and life

experience for our students. It is for these reasons that we also have an exemplary group of individuals who have come

forward to volunteer and participate in building this school and changing the future of education.

TEA is working closely with the Martis Valley

Education Foundation to develop a world class

campus for the school and the community.

• Melanie Cooke, Director

• Nate Martz, Instructional Guide

• Mara Jenkins, Dean of Students

• Anne Chippendale, Prekindergarten Director

• Caroline Kaplan, School Counselor

• Katy Watts, College Counselor

• Jack Benter, Adventure Coordinator, Risk Management

• Matt Morrison, Brenda Gants and Laura Quarin, Faculty

Representatives on Leadership Teams

• Ken Martin, Board Chair

• Taylor Simmers, Secretary, Voting Member

• Alice Hahn, Treasurer, Voting Member

• Tori Long, Voting Member

• Lisa Toutant, Voting Member

• Ken Martin, Board Chair

• Taylor Simmers, Co-Founder, Director of Admissions and

Community Relations

• Dawna Kissmann, Director of Operations and Finance

• Michael Kinnaman, Development Director

• Greg Wright, Director of Marketing

• Eric Martin, Director of Summer Program and Activities

• Brian Collier, Facilities Manager

• Bob Abbott, Business Development and Strategy,

Venture Capital

• Hayes Parzybok, Facilities Strategy and Development

• Robert Buckley, Sales and Marketing Specialist

• Bill Bryan, Educational Consultant and Strategic

Planning Specialist

• Alexis Robin, Executive Coach

• Sas Hadden, TEA’s Association of Parents, President

• Jake Knight, Fundraising Committee

• Jim Kaplan, Fundraising Committee

EDUCATION AND PROGRAM TEAM

TEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS

ADVISORS AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

THE TEAM: EXPERTS IN EDUCATION AND BUSINESS

MVEF MISSION

Our mission at Martis Valley Education Foundation (MVEF) is to purchase, build and maintain a

campus for the Tahoe Expedition Academy (TEA). Back in 2014, MVEF was fortunate to acquire

42 acres of land in the magical Martis Valley region of Northern Tahoe, California with the intent to

build a world recognized educational facility. It is MVEF’s sole purpose to provide TEA with a world

class campus for the decades to come. MVEF acknowledges the location is truly special and how

fortunate we are to make this the home for TEA. We recognize our responsibility to build a respectful

appropriate campus, light on the land and environment; a monument to this special setting.

I V .

Our most important result is the work our students are doing to make the world a better place. These are just a few

examples of our students’ current efforts to have a positive impact:

To date, TEA students have traveled to complete 5 International Expeditions to engage with the world’s toughest

challenges. Learning destinations include: Panama, Europe, Iceland, Dominican Republic and Guatemala. It is with this

global approach that we are able to expose our students to real life applicability to their learning. We like to think that

our students begin internships for life in kindergarten, not beginning in high school or college.

• Saving Endangered Species (Kindergarten)

• Improving Food & Agriculture Systems (1st grade)

• Keeping a Native Language from Extinction (2nd grade)

• Improving Water Resources (4th & 6th grades)

• Tackling Renewable Energy (5th graders & High School)

• Advocating for Immigration Policies (Middle School)

• Supporting Social Activism for Underrepresented Populations (High School)

• Improving Voter Turnout in America’s Youth (11th & 12th graders)

• Addressing the Refugee Crisis in Syria (12th graders)

THE RESULTS: MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

• Accreditation: Spring 2018 we received the highest qualification for National Accreditation and became the first fully

accredited Pre-K-12th grade in Truckee, Tahoe and Northern Nevada.

MORE EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS IS HERE:

C O L L E G E A N D U N I V E R S I T Y A C C E P T A N C E S :

• First graduating class in 2017

• Second graduating class in 2018:

• 4 of 6 graduates earned merit based scholarships totalling over $400,000.

• All six accepted to first choice college / university

• Currently enrolled in Scripps College, UCSD Scripps Institute for Marine Biology, Chapman University,

Emerson College and Northeastern University (Honors College)

• To date, accepted to Tulane University, University of Oregon, University of Colorado Boulder, University of

Utah, and University of Denver.

V .

TERRA NOVA is a well-respected, nationally norm-referenced test for 3rd-8th grades, measuring mastery in

reading, language, and math in relation to students across the country. Scores are in rank order. By definition,

the median percentile is 50.

The ACT is most aligned with TEA’s educational approach and as a result is the most

recommended by our college counselor.

3RD - 8TH GRADE TERRA NOVA TESTING

9TH - 12TH GRADE ACT SCORES

TEST SCORES:

TEA BASECAMP MASTER PLAN SCHEMATIC