Dr. Kimberly Regan: Shaping the Education World
Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School(SNACS) students, families, and the greater Reno community benefit from the dedicated and incredibly talented members of our faculty and staff at our tuition-free K-8 charter school. We want to recognize a pioneer in education, Dr. Kimberly Regan. Her innovative teachings and contributions have shaped the education world, making an impact across the country and continually paving the way for future generations of learners and educators.
The Inspiration for Creating an Innovative School
Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School founder Dr. Regan credits her inspiration for creating the school with the hope to have a greater impact for students and families and to change education. A teacher at her very core, she was a foundational part of the first charter movement in the U.S.
Dr. Regan, who is celebrating her 25th year as the Leader of SNACS, shares that she started her journey in education as the first full-day kindergarten teacher in South Carolina: “People from all over the state would come to see what full-day kindergarten looked like. I really liked having that greater impact across the state and making a change in education.”
Lifelong Learning
Founding the first K-8 Charter School in Nevada in 1999 was just the start for the SNACS CEO. After obtaining a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina, she received an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno. But she didn’t stop there! Dr. Regan is a published author, her first book, UNBROKEN Road to Freedom, is a memoir of hope on overcoming generational poverty, oppression, and abuse with insight to how the PLAY model ® was developed. She’s working on her second book and just completed another post-doctorate degree, this time from Georgetown University in Educational Public Policy. This adds to her Postdoctoral certificate from Harvard and certifications from The Georgetown Public Policy Institute in School Finance and Educational Leadership and Management.
Changing a Generation through Empowerment
Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School is a school that empowers students to have control to change the trajectory of their lives through the PLAY model.® At SNACS, we want our students to know that they have a voice and the ability and choice in how they approach their future.
Families who choose SNACS love the model! The SNACS Model itself has changed generations. Our model differs from traditional schools: personalized learning through choice and play with innovative learning centers, curriculum, and an environment that speaks to – and expands – students’ interests. We provide students with workforce development college and career readiness by honing in on personal interests rather than group-driven experiences.
Dr. Regan loves to celebrate wins and focus on positivity. A favorite quote of Dr. Regan’s is: “Where focus goes, energy flows” by Tony Robbins. Dr. Regan shares why she loves this quote: “I think by focusing on the wins, the positive, you’re going to feed more positivity…. We don’t focus on the negative because if we focus on the negative, you will feed that negativity. If you focus on the positive and celebrate that win, you will feed more positivity.”
Celebrating Full Circle Moments
Dr. Regan has experienced many rewarding moments from her time working in education. One specific instance stood out, reaffirming her career path and all the hard work it took to get to this moment – 25 years in the making.
Dr. Regan recalls a student she once taught before she started SNACS named Patrick, who was one of the first students enrolled at SNACS 1999. He returned to visit her at SNACS and enroll his daughter. No longer a child with behavioral challenges, Patrick, now a grown man, returned to SNACS to visit his former Teacher and then Principal, Dr. Kimberly Regan. Patrick was known back then as a student who struggled and pushed boundaries, at times to the point that Dr. Regan questioned her effectiveness as a teacher. When he arrived unannounced at her door, she was in disbelief to see one of the first SNACS students she taught returning years later to say thank you!
Patrick shared Dr. Kimberly Regan’s impact on his life: “He told me how much I had impacted his life and the difference I made in his life, and that he was proud of me. To have a student who faced challenges come back and later tell you that you changed their life and that they wanted to enroll their own child to experience the same thing, and then to tell you that they’re proud of you I was like, no, I’m proud of you!”
Patrick, one of the first students to attend SNACS in 1999, shared his praises to Dr. Regan: “I’m really proud of you. Look at what you’ve done and look at the school. Now, as an adult, I can see what the model did and the impact it had.”
“I live by what I teach others or expect of others. You’re always learning. You’re always growing. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new and grow in how you approach the world.”
Dr. Kimberly Regan, SNACS CEO & Founder
When you join SNACS, you are instantly welcomed into our tight-knit community. We know our students, their families, and even extended families. Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School is a gem that many of the students and staff call home. Are you ready to join our small school community? We make enrollment easy! Check out our website and join us today!
About SNACS
Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School (SNACS) is a Tuition-Free Public K-8 Charter School with free preschool options. As Nevada’s first charter school, we have served our community for 25 years as a standout school of choice and personalized learning. We nurture self-directed learners through choice, prioritizing expeditionary learning and offering a unique, proprietary, hands-on P.L.A.Y. model (Promoting Learning and Accountability in Youth)® Now in a new location, 10 miles north of Reno, SNACS brings the small school experience back to the neighborhood. Education – with a choice! We’re enrolling for Fall 2024-2025.