Parents often seek the best for their children, and that might start with an educational approach that sees their child for exactly who they are. That eagerness is what Beth Ellen Nash, entrepreneur and author, has infused into Wings to Soar Online Academy, a personalized intervention academy she founded to help children who arrive burdened by broken confidence, shame, and a sense of failure. The academy's curriculum is rooted in academics as well as rebuilding the inner belief that allows a child to soar.
"Children with learning disabilities have unique strengths. I believe that they're the ones who are going to solve our world's problems with their creative and out-of-the-box thinking," Nash explains. "But they need the resources to feel supported, to keep them from giving up. That's where we come in to make a difference."
Nash notes that this mission is symbolized through the eagle in the academy's logo. She highlights that its meaning traces back to her own high school experience, when a friend wrote a story urging her to remain strong and remember that her message mattered despite the depth of her emotional struggles. That symbol of strength and survival now guides the heart of the school. "Just like an eagle, we want kids to soar," she says. "They come to us with a broken wing, struck by shame, failure, and a feeling of not being good enough. Our goal is to mend that."
Wings to Soar was born from an interaction Nash had with a colleague, which stirred an unwavering determination. "I asked about four kids who were failing every test, and she told me that some of them just aren't going to make it," she recalls. "I couldn't allow that to happen." That moment propelled her toward launching her own school, first as a brick-and-mortar model and later, in 2011, as a fully online academy. This development, she notes, came after families around the country urged her to make her approach accessible. "Parents of unique learners sought a curriculum that included science, social studies, and hands-on, action-driven learning instead of just reading and writing drills," she states. "That's the education they need to thrive."
According to Nash, the children who arrive at Wings to Soar often come from homes where parents know their child isn't coping in standard classrooms but aren't sure what to do next. In such cases, she stresses the impact of emotional weight: kids who shut down, stop trying, or quietly give up on themselves due to undetected mental health needs or years of unmet academic support. "More than the academic skills, we're rebuilding the belief in themselves as a learner," she says.
Nash emphasizes that at Wings to Soar, individualized intervention forms the basis of every approach, where students receive a Path to Success Personalized Learning Plan built at their Just-Right Level. The model is curated with the intention of rejecting the rigidity of grade levels in favor of accurate skill placement. "We create a person-level plan, not a sixth-grade plan," she says.
She notes that reading comprehension, phonics, grammar, spelling, and fluency are each evaluated separately so that no child is pushed into material that doesn't match their ability. Through online adaptive programs, students can work through carefully selected adaptive programs. "We typically see one-and-a-half to three years of skills gained. Some may additionally benefit from cognitive training targeting memory, auditory processing, sequencing, and other foundational skills," Nash says.
The academy also encompasses in-house language programs, which were formed when Nash felt that existing material was too reading-heavy. The program includes interactive group studies in writing, math, science, social studies, and personal development courses designed to promote discussion, simulation, and multisensory engagement. "These kids deserve a rich curriculum they can actually access, one that is aligned to their strengths," she adds.
Wings to Soar Online Academy, for Nash, is about helping children reclaim their confidence and independence. It's about creating a haven for parents where they can rest assured that their children are being seen for who they are. The academy's long-term vision is rooted in whole-person well-being and offering more resources for unique learners.
Ultimately, Beth Ellen Nash leads the academy with the belief that children deserve to have strong enough wings to leave the nest. As she puts it, "My objective isn't to keep them here, in the nest, for as long as possible, but to empower them and strengthen their wings until they can soar to extraordinary heights and realize their full, boundless potential, commanding the skies on their own terms."
