OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — Squaw Valley Preparatory (SVP), a California public charter school, will open its doors for seventh to 10th-grade students for the 2013/14 school year, adding 11th grade in 2014 and 12th in 2015.

This transformative education choice comes as a result of a joint effort between the Squaw Valley Ski Team (SVST) and the Squaw Education Foundation, a nonprofit California corporation, and will build upon the successful structure and high academic achievement of Creekside Charter School in Tahoe City. Located within steps of the Olympic slopes at Squaw Valley, SVP is designed to complement world-class athletic and performance training with college preparation, including Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, in a single program.

“I attended four different high schools because of my athletic training,” said Travis Ganong, a current member of the U.S. Ski Team and future mentor at SVP. “Luckily, my mom is a teacher and was able to help me balance school and athletics … SVP will help so many student athletes reach their full potential.”

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SVP’s unique bell schedule will support winter sports, swim, dance, track, equestrian and other athletic training 8-9:45 a.m., extending winter training schedules to 11 a.m. for U10-U16 on-hill training with the Squaw Valley Ski Team (SVST members will have exclusive, early morning on-hill training when the conditions are ideal) and Nordic training. After training, students will return to SVP for academic classes.

“In addition to the amazing partnership we’ve established with the Squaw Valley Ski Team, we are excited to support student participation in a broad range of outstanding community athletic and performance programs including TTUSD after-school sports teams, Truckee-Tahoe Swim Team, Piping Rock Equestrian Center, InnerRythms Dance Studio, Tahoe Music Institute, Tahoe Dance School and more,” said Camille Taylor, Executive Director of SVP.

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Students may also choose to attend a variety of enrichment classes such as yoga/Pilates, robotics, music, drama, programming and film production, as interest supports. SVP will employ technology resources, including Apple-based distance-learning apps.The school plans to aggressively design and incorporate new technologies on and off the mountain.

“Squaw Prep will serve students with a wide range of competitive, performance and creative passions through the richness and depth of our learning culture, tapping into the drive and dedication of each student to cultivate a community of high performance and achievement,” said Taylor. “It takes tremendous maturity and discipline to train and prepare for competition. SVP will nourish students’ academic and social development … preparing our graduates to enter and thrive at the world’s finest colleges and universities.”

Enrollment for Squaw Valley Preparatory will open on March 24, 6 p.m. with an Information Night at the Olympic Valley Lodge, 1901 Chamonix Place, Olympic Valley. Students residing in Placer County or adjacent counties are eligible to submit a request for admission, available March 24. Requests for admission received by April 18 will be included in SVP’s April 19 enrollment lottery, with 2013/14 admission notifications posted on April 22. Creekside Charter School, a kindergarten through sixth-grade California public charter school will partner with SVP and SVST, with a winter training shuttle. Information and requests for admission are available at http://www.squaw.org.