Rooted in community, growing with purpose.

See What Makes Odyssey Charter Schools a Unique Learning Environment

  • Four women standing outdoors, smiling at the camera, wearing shirts with event logos, with children playing in the background.
  • A vegetable garden with raised beds and lush green plants, surrounded by trees and shrubs, in a sunny outdoor setting.
  • Woman smiling and talking to a child in front of a wooden obstacle with circular cutouts outdoors.
  • Colorful mural with horizontal stripes in orange, yellow, black, and blue, featuring the white hand-painted message: 'I am resilient. I am loved. I am enough.'
  • Trees with dark red and green leaves in front of a building and mountains under cloudy sky.
  • Woman wearing black and red sequin Minnie Mouse ears headband, smiling, outdoors near a tree with greenery and buildings in the background.
  • Colorful mural with text in multiple languages greeting from Odyssey Charter Schools, featuring mountains and trees in a landscape scene.
  • A young boy celebrating outdoors with his arms raised and thumbs up, smiling widely.
  • A young girl wearing a beige sun hat and a blue and white shirt holding a decorated cookie at an outdoor event.
  • Colorful mural featuring a rainbow with pink and purple bands, white clouds, an orange background with the white words "you matter" and star shapes.
  • Pink and light brown flowering plant against a clear blue sky.
  • A young girl with brown hair in a braid is walking outdoors, wearing a white t-shirt with a heart graphic and text. In the background, there are several people and a natural outdoor setting.
  • Colorful mural featuring a large red heart with yellow decorative lines, a sign reading 'alta DENA' and 'ODYSSEY always', and other artistic elements.

Step Inside Odyssey

Our charter schools are public and tuition-free, serving TK–8 and open to all California students — no entrance tests, no special requirements. The admissions process is grounded in equity and transparency, outlining clear eligibility criteria, application steps and enrollment procedures for families applying to either of Odyssey’s two Altadena campuses.

Learn More About Enrollment

Our Mission

Take root, grow and thrive

Odyssey Charter Schools develop active learners who discover their interests and broaden their knowledge in an engaging environment of academic excellence.

Through a workshop model that emphasizes student choice and emotional well-being, students collaborate with peers, teachers and community members. Our thoughtfully designed curriculum promotes social responsibility that impacts the larger community.

Vision For Learning

Cultivate whole child learning.

We aim to create a nurturing environment where self-directed students of diverse backgrounds develop academic skills and real life knowledge through exploration, investigation, reflection, and collaboration with other students, teachers, parents and the wider community: a classroom without walls.

Distinct Educational Approaches to Whole Child Development

Our curriculum supports students who learn best by doing, integrating traditional and innovative models to enable personalized learning.

Looping Classrooms

Designed to strengthen relationships, Odyssey uses a looping classroom model where students remain with the same teacher for two years. This continuity supports deeper learning, stronger connections and social emotional wellbeing. Extended time with students supports stronger instruction, more meanigful family partnerships and intentional long-term planning.

Workshop Model

Driving structure and predictability, the Workshop Model begins with brief, focused lessons and moves quickly into independent or small-group work. Teachers act as mentors, guiding students as they practice new strategies, ask questions and apply prior knowledge to deepen understanding. Workshop time supports students working at independent levels, making instruction  responsive to their needs.

Our Core Values

Academic Excellence

Academic excellence supports deep learning through critical thinking, creativity and the ability to apply knowledge across disciplines. Instruction is rigorous and responsive, connecting ideas and standards while meeting students where they are.

Social Emotional Learning

Social emotional learning supports student growth through self-awareness, emotional regulation and effective problem-solving. Our Responsive Classroom and Restorative Practices approaches establish clear expectations, boundaries and supportive relationships.

Social Responsibility

We encourage students to recognize needs beyond themselves and understand their role within a broader community. Through intentional, year-long read-aloud themes, students explore real-world issues to build awareness and drive impact.

Expanded Learning Programs Beyond the Classroom

Enrichments

Enrichments broaden students’ learning experiences by offering opportunities beyond the core academic program. The TK–6 enrichment program offers a variety of experiences, which have included visual arts, music, cooking, dance, and STEAM. While offerings may vary, enrichments support creativity, and whole-child development, operating independently of classroom instruction.

Electives

Electives extend earlier enrichment experiences for Odyssey’s middle school students, giving 7th and 8th graders opportunities to deepen interests and apply skills in more focused ways. Course options include art, theatre, sewing, cooking, drumming, athletics and flag football, supporting exploration.

Field Trips

Field trips extend learning through off-campus visits and on-campus educational outreach programs led by partner organizations. Experiences introduce students to science, the environment, culture, art and movement through hands-on learning connected to real places and practices.

Our family community plays a vital role in supporting and expanding these opportunities through fundraising and shared support.

Special Education at Odyssey

Odyssey Charter Schools offers a robust and comprehensive special education program across both campuses. For questions or individualized support, families are encouraged to reach out.

Contact Us To Learn More

Our History

Founded by Kathleen O’Sullivan and opened in September of 1999, Odyssey Charter Schools began with 160 students, serving K-8. Through continued dedication and commitment, Kathleen, teachers, staff and community members worked tirelessly, securing approval for Odyssey as the first charter school in California to be approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Education (LACOE).

Since opening, Odyssey expanded to two campuses to meet growing demand, opening OCS–South in August 2018 to serve TK–8 students and strengthen its presence in the Altadena community.

On January 8, the Eaton Fire destroyed the OCS–South campus, permanently displacing 375 students. OCS–South relocated and continues operating from a site two blocks from the Odyssey North campus, reflecting steady leadership and a resilient community.

Where Roots Take Hold

What sets Odyssey apart is not a single program or philosophy, but the way learning, relationships and community come together over time. Academic rigor, thoughtful development and real-world connection shape an experience designed to support students well beyond their years at Odyssey.

The Odyssey Experience