6701 S. Park Ave.
Apply to IDEA
Application for SAMI, SOTA and IDEA is open
The application for SAMI, SOTA and IDEA will be available in ParentVUE from Oct. 20, 2025, through Jan. 11, 2026. This application is for in-district and/or out-of-district students who would like to apply to attend SAMI, SOTA, or IDEA starting the 2026-27 school year. If your child is not currently enrolled in TPS, you must create a new ParentVUE account.
Information Nights at SOTA, SAMI, and IDEA
All Dates are 6-7 PM
| Date | School | Location | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, October 21, 2025 | IDEA | Product Realization Lab (PRL) | 6701 South Park Avenue Tacoma, WA 98404 |
| Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | SOTA | SOTA Theater | 1117 Commerce Street Tacoma, WA 98405 |
| Thursday, October 23, 2025 | SAMI | Environmental Learning Center | 5715 Animal Road Tacoma, WA 98407 |
| Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | IDEA | Product Realization Lab (PRL) | 6701 South Park Avenue Tacoma, WA 98404 |
| Wednesday, November 12, 2025 | SOTA | SOTA Theater | 1117 Commerce Street Tacoma, WA 98405 |
| Thursday, November 20, 2025 | SAMI | Environmental Learning Center | 5715 Animal Road Tacoma, WA 98407 |
| Monday, December 8, 2025 | SAMI | Pagoda at Point Defiance | 5801 Trolley Ln Tacoma, WA 98407 |
| Tuesday, December 9, 2025 | IDEA | Product Realization Lab (PRL) | 6701 South Park Avenue Tacoma, WA 98404 |
| Wednesday, December 10th, 2025 | SOTA | SOTA Theater |
Why IDEA
IDEA is a collaborative creative environment centered around industrial design, engineering, and the arts. Our community is made up of high school students, non-profits, professional organizations, and for-profit businesses of all sizes. Our goal is to form a collaborative learning environment where our partners can work alongside our student in design-and-build studios, forming public to private partnerships and giving both students and teachers access to professional opportunities as well as giving our partners direct access to students and teachers to inform their work.
Programs & Activities at IDEA
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IDEA in Action
Project-Based Learning
iDEA students learn through projects, with teachers acting more like guides for students, posing challenging questions and working to embed learning targets within the context of student-driven, real-world projects. The curriculum aligns with common core standards in math, science, English, and social studies and follows the gold-standard project-based learning framework outlined by the Buck Institute. Any time you walk into iDEA, the students are excited to show you their latest creation, whether it’s made of wood, metal, or on a computer screen.
“Content” learning is applied and utilized during project-based learning that bridges classrooms with the real world. All students are exposed to experiences that stimulate the imagination, provoke inquiry, and create avenues for invention. They gain access to the kind of learning that inspires the desire to dream and achieve. They gain the confidence to follow their passions and to transport their ideas into the future.