Kim Goates is originally from Brisbane, Australia, though she has now spent more than half her life in the US. Kim started educating her own children at home more than 30 years ago and has owned and run several businesses during that time. She has a tremendous love of and passion for learning and teaching. This love and passion, joined with her entrepreneurial spirit, led her to take the reins in February 2016 of Canyon Grove Academy, and create one of the most unique schools in the state.

Immersed is the best way to describe Kim’s search for a better education model for student, parents, and, ultimately, schools. With her experience as a homeschool mom, she took the deep dive into creating, designing, implementing, and now maintaining systems that bridge the gap between homeschooling families and charter schools through a hybrid distance effort. Students thrive and parents love that their voices are heard at Canyon Grove due in large part to Kim’s efforts.

Mrs. Goates has a contagious passion, love, and enthusiasm for life, her family, and learning. She embodies Mark Twain’s famous quip about not letting school get in the way of him learning. While Kim appreciates there are laws and rules governing education, her efforts clearly point to a focus on individualizing learning for each student. When she is not at work refining Canyon Grove’s efforts with her team, she can be found working on the farm at the school, tending to the animals and plants. When the rare moment finds her not at the school, she can be found enjoying her great family, playing the piano, and looking for ways to do more to get access to learning opportunities for kids and their families.