For the 2025-26 school year, we are restructuring our program and thus, not accepting any new registrations.
Preschool through Grade 5 & after school clubs!
A Finnish approach to learning rooted in God-centricity, character development, and academic excellence
All classes are held at our Sanford campus
- Step Up Scholarship Approved – FES-EO, FTC, and PEP
- Cognia Certified
- Finland Inspired
- Best of breed curriculum
Events and Activities
Our Mission:
To instill
God-consciousness through the teachings of the Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his family (Peace and blessings upon them all)
To inspire
A lifelong love of learning, self-improvement, and a growth mindset
To improve
Outcomes for children and families by using evidence-based teaching strategies
Our Vision
Prepare students for uncompromising success in this world and the Hereafter
Program
What We Believe
We believe a God-centric worldview is essential in developing a strong foundation for character development and spiritual growth. Education is not an end, but a means for a higher purpose.
We believe that true and lasting success, for now and in the Hereafter, only comes when a child is fully developed spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially.
We believe a teacher’s ability to serve as a role model is as equally important as accreditation and experience.
We believe any educational approach must be compatible with a child’s stage of development. We model our approach after the proven Finland education system.
We believe there is no single perfect curriculum. We continuously strive to source, evaluate, and implement the best programs, and aim to create custom programs where a gap exists.
We believe learning becomes exponential when teachers and parents work together. We view parents as partners who will prioritize their child’s development and reinforce learning at home.
We believe learning happens best when it matches a student’s unique learning style and pace. This can be difficult in a classroom setting but can be achieved by maintaining an optimal student-teacher ratio.
We believe a culturally diverse student body is necessary to prepare students to thrive in a multicultural nation and a globalized world.
We believe a school should be a safe place for students and teachers to discuss all ideas in a respectful manner.
We believe independence gives parents the peace of mind that their child’s well-being is the only factor in any decision the school makes.
Meet Our Team
The Ark Academy was founded in 2019 and is a subsidiary of The Ark Institute, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We’re committed to providing a safe and engaging environment for your child to grow academically and spiritually. All our teachers carry one of the following as a minimum that qualifies them to provide instruction:
- Bachelor’s degree
- 3+ years of K-12 teaching experience
- Special skills, knowledge or expertise in the subject area
Administrators
Azmina Mawjee
Administrator
Azmina Mawjee migrated from United Kingdom and has a Masters in Health Care Management and a Bachelor’s in Diagnostic Radiography. Azmina has a passion for homeschooling – something she developed over the years as she taught her kids. She humbly believes in helping kids learn to read the Holy Qur’an and has been doing so for the last 20 years and looks forward to sharing her knowledge with other kids and instilling the love of reading and practicing the teachings of the Holy Qur’an.
Teachers
Sameera Peera
kindergarten teacher
Sameera is an enthusiastic preschool-K educator holding a Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC) and a Director’s credential. Recognizing the significance of the early childhood years in a child’s holistic development, growth, learning, and future, she takes pleasure in connecting with young minds. Witnessing their growth, learning process, and the realization of their full potential brings her immense joy. With over a decade of experience teaching younger children in various school settings, Sameera is committed to guiding them to become responsible and confident individuals.
Reshu Garg
Grade 1 & 2 teacher
Mahtaab Manekia
Grade 3 & 4 teacher
Zahra Akberali
qur’an & arabic teacher
Zahra Peera
Cooking & Nutrition teacher
Zahra moved to the Orlando area a few years ago and has a masters degree in health care administration and a bachelors in biology. While raising three young children, she has had a chance to explore different teaching methods and believes it is important to nurture each child based on their unique strengths and abilities. Zahra has also taught previously in various Sunday schools and mentored youth in different capacities and settings. She is passionate about creating wholesome, nutritious dishes with her students and feels that there are tremendous learning opportunities in the kitchen. She enjoys introducing young students to a variety of tastes, textures, and flavors, and hopes this cultivates a lifelong curiosity and love for working with food.
Ammara Rizvi
Quran & Islamic Studies Teacher
Board of Directors
Sameer Peera
Director & principal
Sameer Peera founded The Ark Institute in 2008 understanding that only change is constant and an evolving approach to education with a growth mindset was required. He strives to raise the bar for education to help students achieve personal and professional success. He is currently the CIO for a national retailer with 20+ yrs of experience in Digital Transformation & eCommerce.
Wajahat Rizvi
Director
Wajahat Rizvi has been a Sunday School teacher for over 15 years with a focus on preparing older-aged students for life-altering challenges. He strives to serve as a role model for his students and continues to mentor them on life and career issues even after they graduate. He is passionate about education and firmly believes that every child deserves an equal opportunity regardless of their socio-economic circumstances. He is the founder and managing director of an investment management firm.
Consultants
Bryanna Dunigan
Program/Operations consultant
Bryanna has been an Early Childhood Professional for 23 years. Bryanna has an Associates in Arts in Early Childhood and a Child Development Associates. She began her career at the age of 14 as a preschool volunteer and soon became an educator working with children ages 6 weeks to elementary age. Bryanna continued to persevere and eventually held the title of Director of Operations North for a large Preschool Corporation. There she oversaw multiple schools throughout the country and acted as support; handling compliance, state licensing, and operations. Along with training new Directors, supporting the opening of new campuses, and selling and enrolling the program. Bryanna’s goal is to provide children the opportunity to succeed by creating programs that foster and develop a child’s lifelong love of learning.
Our Story
Inspired by Parents
The Ark Academy was inspired by the parents and students at The Ark Institute Sunday School Program in Florida. Parents felt Sunday School programs were merely a stopgap measure, and that a full-time school was needed to prepare students for life-altering challenges.
In 2019, with the help of Allah (God) and three parents, the first land was purchased.
The Ark Academy has always been a grassroots effort. We encourage you to contact us if you can contribute to our mission.
About Us
"The education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing him for school, but for life."
At The Ark Academy, we believe that when we take your child into our care, we become part and parcel of his/her ‘preparation for life’. We aim to develop the child’s strengths in all areas while integrating an Islamic and God-conscious world-view. We also believe that each child has unique strengths and learning styles, and these God-given intrinsic gifts should be nurtured.
Our goal is to create an atmosphere that is conducive to effective learning and inspires individuals to realize their full potential academically and spiritually.
We invite you to learn more about what we offer and welcome any questions you may have.
Growth Plan
Our long-term goal is to build and operate an exemplary full-time school serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8.
We will grow to offer the school’s resources virtually to students around the nation and globe who wish to access our unique offering.
Fall 2021
Virtual Pre-K / K
Fall 2022
Pre-K thru Grade 2
Fall 2023
Add Grade 3 and 4
Fall 2024
Add Grade 5
Fall 2025
To be determined
Let's get in touch
Join us on our journey for a better tomorrow, with more fulfilled individuals. Let’s get that conversation started!
Testimonials
"Our experience with Ark Academy has been nothing but great. Keeping young kids focused and engaged is hard, especially online. However Ark Academy not only did that but also got my child excited about going to class. We love how Islamic concepts are integrated into the daily learning goals via activities and games along with all other concepts."
Sr. Sahar Merchant
Virtual Pre-K 2020-21
“I have been so impressed at how much Fatima has learned and most importantly - really enjoyed each day of classes. Even with the added difficulty of online learning, due to covid, teacher Sukaina has managed to make the lessons and interactions so beneficial that we don’t feel the gap of not being in person. Fatima has learnt so much that she loves to give lessons to her older brother. I highly recommend Ark from the quality of teaching and organization coming out of this school!”
Sr. Zahra Rizvi
Virtual Pre-K 2020-21
“We were blessed to have the opportunity to send our daughter to the virtual pre-K program at Ark-Academy. It was well organized and all the materials were provided ahead of time which made class time run more smoothly. Aunty Sukaina’s teaching experience came through despite the physical distance and engaged our daughter to learn and enjoy her class. We were pleased that all content topics had an Islamic perspective incorporated. My daughter’s favorite activity was to make her own zoo-phonics book to help her learn the alphabet.”
Sr. Farha Sheraly
Virtual Pre-K 2020-21
" We are very pleased and thankful for the online program that Ark Academy offered for pre-K. The academics as well as the character building focus are exceptional. Mrs. Janmohammed is fantastic! She gets to know each child as individuals and helps them to maximize their potential."
Sr. Zehra Merchant
Virtual Pre-K 2020-21
Contact
The Ark Academy
2455 Ark Academy Court
Sanford, FL 32773
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 950595
Lake Mary, FL 32795
E-mail us at:
info@thearkacademy.org
Links
About
Our goal is to create an atmosphere that is conducive to effective learning and inspires individuals to realize their full potential academically and spiritually.