In the sleek Tomlin Family Application Lab, students test the laws of physics through roller coaster models, design Virtual Reality rooms to display their digital profiles and build circuits and program microcontrollers to respond to commands.

Down the boardwalk, the Farish Center offers a renovated and updated theatre for students as young as three to gain confidence in public speaking and presenting and also develop appreciation for the arts as performers and as audience members.

The surrounding classrooms are models of cooperative learning with flexible spaces for teachers to incorporate brain-based education strategies.

And connecting all the buildings are boardwalks and decks that make up Corbett Prep's biggest classroom of all – its lakeside campus of towering cypress trees. It's a canvas for murals, a backdrop for kindness campaigns, a living laboratory, a peaceful setting for reading and a safe spot for messy hands-on learning.

Families looking for a private, independent school are invited to experience the Corbett Prep campus for themselves at an Admissions Open House this fall.

Corbett Prep will welcome a small number of guests to in-person Admissions Open House at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16. Space is limited for safety, and all guests are required to register in advance and wear masks when visiting.

Since 1968, Corbett Prep has lived its founders' dream to create an environment that would cultivate the gifts and talents of every student. Marilyn Gatlin and Betty Anderson embraced a philosophy that happy students – respected as individuals and allowed to fulfill their needs to "play, investigate and be themselves" – were more open to learning than students who felt unhappy, tense and fearful at school. They wanted to establish a school that was "interesting and even exciting," a school that would spark a lifelong love of learning in students.

Corbett Prep remains committed to these ideals today.

A private International Baccalaureate school for PreK3 through 8th grade, Corbett Prep offers an educational approach that is child-centered, engaging and research based. In addition to a robust academic program, Corbett Prep prioritizes the social-emotional wellbeing of its students. The Four Pillars of Wellbeing social-emotional curriculum grew out of a partnership with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and was piloted at Corbett Prep, now an international model school for the program.

The Open House will begin with a conversation about Corbett Prep's educational philosophy and practices and will include the benefits of attending a school that spans prekindergarten through middle school. An outdoor tour will follow.

Corbett Preparatory School of IDS is located at 12015 Orange Grove Drive in North Tampa and provides bus transportation from South Tampa, New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Westchase. Families interested in learning more about Corbett Prep are welcome to call the Office of Admissions to schedule a personal tour at any time.

Contact the Office of Admissions to RSVP for an open house or request more information at (813) 961-3087.

This video from our Spring Open Houses will show you a brief tour led by members of the Class of 2021. Enjoy!