Explorations
Explore the Possibilities
With a wide variety of classes in Arts, Athletics, STEM, and Lifestyle, our Explorations program offers a way for your child to explore a different interest each day of the week.
So many options, it’s hard to decide.
Exploration classes are places where children can learn about new interests or become even more engaged in an already beloved activity. Whether your child is a budding actor, tech wizard, athlete, author or dancer, we’ve got something for them to explore!
If you sign-up for a 4pm Exploration class at Hillcrest, please note that 3pm Extended Day on the same day is included at no charge. If you need care beyond the Exploration class, please visit the Extended Day page for possible discounts and codes.
Snapshots of the classes offered on the Hillcrest and Midway campus can be found below.
Exploration FAQs
Please visit our FAQs page for information regarding Exploration classes, refunds, waitlists, and more.
Meet Our Partners
Dallas Magic Academy
Shelton Speech Center, Chelsea Maxey
Chelsea Maxey received her B.S. from St. Edward’s University in Austin in 2011. She then joined Teach for America in Charlotte, North Carolina for two years. It was during her teaching experience when she found a passion in making a difference through communication with the students, returning to school to earn her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of North Texas in 2016. After five years spent providing speech therapy to toddlers, school-aged children and adults in a variety of settings, Chelsea joined the Shelton School Speech Center in the spring of 2021. In addition to providing individual speech therapy to students, she taught the Social Thinkers summer school class at Shelton the last 4 years.
SPARK Business Academy
SPARK is the financial literacy partner at over 250 public and private schools, including many of the top schools in the country and outside of the U.S.
Before launching SPARK, Chuchi enjoyed a successful career in finance as a Director at PwC’s Financial Services Advisory practice, where he managed large-scale, multi-million dollar engagements at some of the most prominent global banks and led numerous corporate training programs for staff. Chuchi was a key member of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), which awarded over $7 billon to victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chuchi earned an MBA with an emphasis in finance from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and a BA (Hons) degree in Economics from the University of West London, England. Chuchi is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Sticky Fingers Cooking®
The Knight School
VineyardApp
VineyardApp was built on the belief that early acts of entrepreneurship and development of real skills pay dividends down the road. All students have great ideas; with mentorship to unlock their ideas, they can begin their journey. Through building on their own, students learn to think critically about a problem and identify ways to solve problems with the tools they have. With so many different camps available VineyardApp wanted to build one where students can walk away with a tangible accomplishment.
VineyardApp cares about how they teach just as much as what they’re teaching. Their instructors are engaging, experienced, and fun. They constantly challenge students’ thinking, and the small group environment lends to students learning from each other in addition to the instructor. Students immediately put into practice the information they learn with activities and exercises, cementing students’ knowledge of the material. Not only that: their class curriculums are version controlled so that teachers are able to submit curriculum improvements after every class.
Brendan Carrillo
Cindy Overturf
Creative Dance Kids
Melanie M Brannan
Brannan received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Louisiana Tech University in Advertising and Graphic Design. After graduation Brannan opened her own graphic design firm in Dallas which she had for 25 years. Her client list included national and international accounts including Neiman Marcus, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Southwest Airlines, and Mobil Oil Corporation.
In 2009, Brannan closed the design firm and returned to painting. She started working with a client who was building a home in Highland Park and wanted a few commission pieces. For years, they would meet weekly discussing art, reviewing comps, and delivering the final pieces. Overall, she painted 27 pieces for that home.
While starting this new career as a fine artist, Brannan taught painting classes to adults and children. She discovered how much she loved to teach the techniques, the history of art and the Masters. Brannan stated, “Teaching has brought so much to my own paintings. When you are teaching a Matisse, van Gogh or Kandinsky, you need to know their story, brush strokes, techniques, and palettes…I will forever be a student of art.”
DIMA Texas
Dr. Dakoli began her formative musical training at a young age in Durres, Albania and by the age of twelve she had performed her first solo recital and began performing concerts throughout Albania. At the age of 18, Dr. Dakoli was accepted into the University of Music, Tirana, Albania to study under Professor Anita Tartari and received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. She has won many awards and has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. In 2003, Dr. Dakoli left Albania to study at Baylor University in Waco. She graduated with a Master of Music in Piano Performance in 2005. In 2017, Dr. Dakoli earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance degree from Louisiana State University. She serves as music faculty at Dallas Baptist University. Dr. Dakoli also serves on the Lamplighter Parents’ Association and coordinates The Lamplighter School’s annual Media Center Open House Student Recital. Dr. Dakoli is a Mason & Hamlin Artist and serves as the face of and is a recording artist for PianoDisc.
Brooke Rooney
Futsoul
KidoKinetics
Terri Braun is an athlete, leader, teacher, and mother of three. Her programs keep children moving and active. The magic of Kidokinetics is that they’ve made sure achieving goals is an exciting experience — one that is so much fun, kids aren’t even aware of the fact that they’re learning.
Premier Martial Arts Addison
XFactor Cheer
Hola Spanish Academy
8Bit Education
Founder, Adrian Sanchez, Jr., has been in the field of STEM Education for more than 12 years; he has worked with other companies and has seen what is possible when you open the door to the world of tech for students. He believes everyone should be able to have the experience of learning new skills and having fun at the same time!
Adrian works very closely with his brother and lead instructor, Tony Sanchez. Tony ensures the staff are properly trained to their high standards. The Sanchez brothers work diligently to keep each student engaged and will often team up to teach camps and classes. They also work very closely in developing new material and camps.
The final member of the team is Olivia Sanchez, Adrian’s wife. She works closely with the brothers to develop new curriculum as well as recruiting new partners, developing marketing materials, and working on anything 8Bit might need.
Challenge Island
GearMinds STEM Academy
Nexplore
- Critical thinking, problem-solving, and logical reasoning.
- Intrapersonal and interpersonal social skills
- Emotional awareness and management
- Creative thinking and innovation
- Physical health and fitness
- Cultural understanding, global awareness, and respect for humankind
Nexplore’s mission is to foster the joy of learning through enrichment opportunities so that each child may discover and explore a passion that drives him or her to excel and continue their path of education throughout their school years.