A private elementary school in development for Broward County, Florida ✦ Parent Interest List now open
Catalyx Academy

The Five Pillars

Big Skills. Taught in Age-Appropriate Ways.

The goal is not to make children grow up faster. It is to help them build useful skills earlier.

The Five Pillars build naturally on what elementary students are already learning. Children are not expected to master advanced business, finance or technology concepts. They are introduced to simple ideas through stories, projects, classroom activities, teamwork and presentations.

See how the Five Pillars work

About one minute. No application. No fee. No obligation.

The Catalyx Academy Five Pillars: AI and Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, Leadership, and Communication and Public Speaking, surrounding a core of academic excellence, character, confidence and purpose

Reassurance

Strong Academics Still Come First

Reading, writing, math, science and social studies remain the foundation of a Catalyx education. The Five Pillars are woven into those subjects in ways that help children use what they are already learning.

Kindergarten – Grade 2

Introduce & Explore

Simple ideas, stories, discussions, classroom activities, teamwork, and short presentations.

Grades 3 – 5

Apply & Build

More structured projects, problem-solving, financial concepts, entrepreneurship, leadership opportunities, and responsible technology use.

The five pillars

What Each Pillar Actually Looks Like

Two students programming a small robot with a tablet

AI & Innovation

Students learn to use technology thoughtfully — to ask good questions, create, and solve problems.

What this might look like

  • Asking AI a simple question
  • Checking whether an answer makes sense
  • Comparing two sources of information
BuildsCuriosity, judgment, problem-solving, creativity, and responsible technology use.
Two students pricing and presenting handmade products they created in class

Entrepreneurship

Students learn how an idea becomes a solution: spot a problem, build something useful, explain why it matters.

What this might look like

  • Creating a classroom product
  • Designing a simple lemonade stand
  • Inventing something useful
BuildsCreativity, initiative, planning, teamwork, persistence, and problem-solving.
A student planning savings with a coin jar, calculator and notebook

Financial Literacy

Students learn how money actually works — saving, spending, budgeting and making thoughtful choices.

What this might look like

  • Needs versus wants
  • Saving versus spending
  • Making choices with limited money
BuildsDecision-making, responsibility, planning, patience, and healthy money habits.
A student leading classmates through a team plan at the whiteboard

Leadership

Students learn to take responsibility, work with others, and help a group succeed.

What this might look like

  • Taking responsibility for a classroom task
  • Leading part of a group project
  • Listening to different ideas
BuildsResponsibility, teamwork, empathy, initiative, decision-making, and confidence.
A student standing and presenting ideas to the class

Communication & Public Speaking

Students learn to organize their thoughts, speak clearly, listen well, and explain ideas with confidence.

What this might look like

  • Retelling a story
  • Explaining a math answer
  • Asking a thoughtful question
BuildsConfidence, listening, clear thinking, self-expression, and respectful communication.

Pillars and academics

The Five Pillars Don't Replace Academics. They Give Children More Ways to Use Them.

Example: a classroom business project

  1. A student reading a bookReading

    Students read about how simple businesses work.

  2. A student writing advertisement ideas in a notebookWriting

    Students create a product description or short advertisement.

  3. Students calculating measurements for a robot they builtMath

    Students calculate simple costs and prices.

  4. Students presenting their product idea to the classPresent

    Students present the idea to the class.

  • EntrepreneurshipStudents create an idea for a product.
  • Financial LiteracyStudents decide how much it should cost.
  • LeadershipStudents work together and divide responsibilities.

One age-appropriate project can strengthen traditional academics while introducing several of the Five Pillars at the same time.

Age progression

The Same Pillar Grows With the Child

Financial literacy, from Kindergarten to Grade 5.

  1. Kindergarten

    Understand saving and spending.

  2. Grade 1

    Learn needs versus wants.

  3. Grade 2

    Make simple money choices.

  4. Grade 3

    Create a basic budget.

  5. Grade 4

    Explore pricing and profit.

  6. Grade 5

    Introductory banking and investing.

The concepts grow gradually as the child's academic skills and maturity grow.

Designed for elementary students

A seven-year-old doesn't need to build a company.

At the elementary level the Five Pillars are not advanced standalone subjects. They are simple, age-appropriate skills woven into everyday learning. A seven-year-old can begin learning how to ask good questions, make thoughtful choices, work with others, understand money, solve problems, and confidently explain an idea.

What parents may notice

What Parents May Begin to See

Parents may notice their child becoming more comfortable:

  • Explaining their thinking

    Describing how they reached an answer.

  • Speaking in front of others

    Presenting to classmates with growing confidence.

  • Asking better questions

    Getting curious rather than waiting to be told.

  • Taking responsibility

    Owning a task and following it through.

These are small skills in elementary school that can become powerful habits over time.

Join the Catalyx Parent Interest List

Could This Be the Right Kind of Education for Your Child?

Catalyx Academy is being developed for families who want strong academics along with practical skills children can begin building from an early age.

  • Updates as the Five Pillars are developed further
  • Invitations to future Parent Preview events
  • A say in which programs matter most to Broward families

About one minute. No application. No fee. No obligation.

Skills That Start Small and Grow With Them

The Five Pillars are introduced gradually, in ways elementary students can actually understand and use.

About one minute. No application. No fee. No obligation.

Learn about Catalyx academics →See how Catalyx works →