“Keeping Step”: With Corey Smith of Smith Academy for Excellence
Smith Academy for Excellence (SAFE) is a tuition-free, all-boys charter school located in Fort Wayne.
The school takes advantage of family and community support to administer a strong, comprehensive, academic curriculum that includes character education and service learning projects, which develops young men into lifelong leaders.
The school’s educational philosophy centers around the “pillars” of academics, character and service. The goal is for young men to become “positive leaders” of consequence in Fort Wayne’s community by adhering to the pillars. I had the opportunity to talk with school leader and co-founder Corey Smith, who shared the philosophy behind Smith Academy, and how they plan to move forward academically and athletically in the immediate future.
Q: Corey, what brought Smith Academy for Excellence from just discussions to what is now your eighth year in Fort Wayne?
A: I come from a family of educators. My father (Tom) and brother (Cameron), who are also co-founders of the academy, have years of experience in education. Cameron began our discussions about starting Smith Academy, as he saw there was a tremendous need for a character education component in the city and wanted us to be the push behind it. We wanted to not only be a school of educational resources, but also an urban school that strategically develops “elite” scholars who demonstrate dignity, responsibility and character and who exhibit a sense of service that would revolutionize the southeast side of Fort Wayne
Q: A main component of attracting students, especially young men, is athletics. What was the thought behind this?
A: We initially thought we would use athletics as our “tool of attraction” for kids but not stray from our primary philosophy. We decided our three primary sports would be basketball, cross country and track, and then we’d add sports as we continued to grow in enrollment (along with adding girls in the not-so-distant future). We knew that we may not have the numbers other schools have, but we wanted to put a quality and competitive team on the floor or field of play. We may not have the resources other schools do, but that doesn’t defeat our purpose or mission with these young men. We will work just as hard and not sell them short in our preparation to compete. Our ultimate goal is and will always be: scholarship, character and service. We will build strong teams by working on their character and live with the results of our work.
Q: With the rise of prep schools forming nationwide, how do you keep Smith Academy from becoming a prep school known primarily for athletics?
A: Our philosophy is that we will be who we are and let the chips fall where they may. We will stay true to our mission and not adjust our program for money or status. Just by the nature of what we focus on, that will deter some kids from attending Smith Academy simply because athletics is just a tool but not who we are at SAFE. We feel that parents and students will attend our school because of the fact that we’re NOT a superpower athletic school, but what we focus on goes much further than where athletics will take our kids. We’ll lose some kids and families but gain a lot more, which is a holistic educational approach.
Q: Are your teachers asked to coach as well, or do you go outside the school to find coaches?
A: Our selection process is fairly typical of most schools. We ask if any of our staff is interested in coaching positions that may arise in our school. We give them first choice, then we move outside the walls of our school. Because of our size, we keep our options open for our coaching selections. We want our coaches treating students well, and we will in turn treat them well, which has proven to work for us.
Q: How have COVID-19 restrictions affected Smith Academy’s athletic programs?
A: We had to cancel our cross-country season, which was disappointing but understandable. It remains to be seen what our basketball season will look like. It depends on what the state says in regards to schools, and also with us now being a member of the IHSAA we fall under their guidelines as well. Our local health department will also advise us moving forward, so there are many variables involved.
Q: What was the process of Smith Academy being admitted to IHSAA, and why was that important?
A: In the application process, we had to demonstrate the ability to follow IHSAA bylaws, rules and regulations. We also had to show we could field a team each season in that particular sport. We were one of the first schools that had to follow a cohort probationary (limited eligibility) period, a four-year waiting period, competing on the junior varsity level with our school before we were allowed into the IHSAA. After this period our teams were allowed to compete on the varsity level. It was important for us to be a part of the state because it gives us viability to the community, allows us some built-in structures and networks that make scheduling games and getting officials easier, and allows us to find schools more willing to put Smith Academy on their schedule with the IHSAA support behind us.
Q: Looking at the next five years, how do you want Smith Academy to be viewed in athletics, not compromising on your character education pillars?
A: We aspire to be the very best we can be. That may be viewed as one of the best athletic programs in the city or one of the best small programs in the city, but we will not compare ourselves to anyone else. We will stay true to who we are, and we feel that will be one of the very best scholastic schools in Indiana. We have a staff, families and students that are working incredibly hard to accomplish the goals we’ve set for ourselves, so the sky’s the limit for our growth. The most important thing is service to our community, and everything lines up with this goal.
Q: What are the three most important things you want people to know about Smith Academy?
A. We care about every individual student and family.
We are focused on our mission and treat our students, staff and families in such a way that our mission is elevated daily. We want to partner with and serve the community. Anyone interested in helping us serve our young men and community and who believes in our mission, we’re interested in you!
Q: What gives Smith Academy its identity?
A: Two of our school’s hallmarks are growth in many different ways, i.e.; academically, socially and athletically, and maximizing potential. An example is the number of students who graduate with dual credit is much higher than other schools with the same demographic. We know our kids are capable of this, so we have students on track to not only graduate but have a year of college credits under their belt, which is something we’re proud of.
So if you’re interested in being the best you can be and maximizing your full potential, and not just settling on getting by, then Smith Academy just may be where you should look for your sons, and soon your daughters, in the near future!