In the heart of our county, 770 students and 50 educators work together with a shared passion and collaborative effort unlike any other. The set is designed and constructed, the stage is built and costumes are designed The lights are hung, mics wired and tested. All done by students. Film crews are in position and ready to record. Students are standing by to direct traffic, serve food and clear tables. Actors and actresses wait backstage, eager to take the stage. Musicians warm up their strings and instruments. Vocalists, their voices.
Teachers are at the ready, some leading and some watching their students run the annual Visual and Performing Arts Show for their last time, with pride. The VAPA Show is the centerpiece of what makes Indian River Charter High School a truly remarkable Arts School and where of the community witness the school’s motto in action, “Carpe Diem” or “Sieze the Day.” This past November, IRCHS celebrated 25 years of Premier Academics and Astounding Arts with its VAPA Show entitled, “Come Back Home,” featuring IRCHS Alumni in several numners. In just two short months, a two hour dinner show is planned, designed and produced; a show that involves every single student and staff member of the school. It was an unforgettable evening, musically guiding the audience from the school’s humble beginning in 1998 with only a small group of students and teachers created by a Board of Directors made up of local community members who wanted another choice for students in Indian River County, moving through the decades to where Indian River Charter High School is today: the only “A” High School in Indian River County. IRCHS, or “Charter” as most of its students and staff call it, is most notably known for its visual and performing arts programs, but has always kept a strong focus on academics. With its neighbor, Indian River State College, Charter offers convenient opportunities for students to take advantage of the state’s Dual Enrollment program; with dozens of students graduating with their Associate’s Degrees weeks before receiving their High School diplomas. IRCHS is not stopping there, however. Determined to continue to serve the community with the highest standards in learning and academic excellence, Charter will open its doors to the 2024 2025 school year as a Cambridge International School, the only one in IRC. The Cambridge International Program offers students who enroll in the program rigorous academic standards and unparalleled opportunities to engage in innovative, creative and hands-on learning experiences. The Cambridge curriculum is respected and recognized by employers and universities such as MIT, Duke, and University of Virginia.
For Students who graduate with the Cambridge AICE Diploma and meet other requirements are eligible for the top-tier Bright Futures Scholarship, covering full tuition at any public Florida institution. IRCHS continues to strive to offer opportunities for the academically focused student. For students who prefer to shine in front of a crowd, Charter is one of the top acting schools in the state. The largest high school theatre organization in the world is located here in Florida; the Florida Thespians. Every March, they gather in Tampa to host the largest high school theatre festival in the world. The Florida Thespians send adjudicators to select only the best school productions as mainstages. These Mainstage shows perform in a professional venue for all of the festival participants. In the past ten years, IRCHS has been selected eight times as the Florida Thespian Mainstage. In the world of High School Theatre, being a Mainstage is one of, if not, the highest honor. This year, the students of IRCHS Theatre are taking Miracle Worker, the Helen Keller Story, to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts as the 2024 Mainstage.
Indian River Charter High School does not only shine in our county and state, but IRCHS has also received national recognition as a National School Choice Week “Star School” for the 2023-2024 school year. Charter was selected because of the level of creativity and professionalism the school has exhibited in past projects with the National School of Choice Week Organization. In the Fall of 2023, NSCW sent a professional production crew to record video at IRCHS where a documentary was shot featuring the school and a dance video tutorial that will be shown featuring students in Charter’s VAPA program to all School Choice Schools across the nation the week of January 22nd – 26th. A high honor for the hard working school with humble beginnings with only a handful of students and teachers just 25 years ago.