Our Story

Our History

Wonder what it would be like to go snowshoeing through a maple forest? Or what it may be like to cook fresh homemade pizza in a mud oven? Students at WMAES don’t wonder – they know! We give our students 62-acres of an outdoor classroom to expand their love of learning. Working gardens, nature trails, forests, wetlands, and prairies are all available for students to explore. WMAES students transition from desks to dirt, creating an environment for all students to learn.

Our students reap the additional benefits of programs and practices such as STEAM programming, character education, accelerated learning, differentiated instruction, and positive school culture – all hallmarks of an effective charter school education.

#EnviroKids are creating a better tomorrow

Our Mission

West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science strives to provide an environment that will foster creativity, promote academic achievement, and develop sound character and citizenship principles emphasizing responsibility to the environment and society while maintaining and improving each child’s self-esteem and self-concept.

Our Authorizer

CMU

In 1994, Central Michigan University became the first Michigan University to authorize a charter school, and it remains the largest authorizer of charter schools in Michigan and in the nation.

Nearly 60 of Michigan’s 199 charter schools in operation are authorized by Central Michigan University. These nearly 60 schools serve a student population of over 26,000 children. Central Michigan University’s involvement with charter schools expands a tradition of educational leadership that began in the late 1800s when it trained its first public school teachers.

The University’s vision is that charter schools:

  • Will make a difference in the lives of students, families, and teachers while also having a positive impact on local communities;
  • Provide top-quality programs that help students grow academically and personally and receive consistently high marks from parents;
  • Meet and exceed state rules and regulations; when possible, they will contribute to the revitalization of their communities, particularly in the state’s urban areas; and
  • Strive to be pillars of innovation in instruction, the effectiveness of their governance structure and in forging mutually beneficial relationships with their communities.

Our Education Service Provider Partnership

Choice Schools Associates Logo

West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science excels, in great part, because of its managing partner, Choice Schools Associates. Choice is a family-owned, Michigan based education service provider with a team that is passionate about your child receiving the best education they possibly can.

For over two decades Choice Schools Associates has carried out its mission to partner with school communities, empowering and equipping them to fulfill their unique mission. Choice provides Michigan charter schools with exceptional assistance in all aspects of school management while striving to meet three fundamental and unchanging standards: significantly improve students’ academic achievement; delight parents and ensure high levels of satisfaction; and create a safe, secure learning environment.

Choice customizes its services to meet the unique needs of each academy and works diligently to ensure that the Academy Board’s vision is carried out. The strength of Choice is its exceptional people who provide services to children, parents and families at every school it manages. This recognition, coupled with its emphasis on achievement of Academy Board goals and Choice’s standards, makes Choice a truly unique education service provider.

Choice’s Mission:

We partner with school communities, empowering and equipping them to fulfill their unique mission.

Choice’s Vision:

In our communities everyone thrives. #EveryoneThrivesHere