Elevate Academy North Team
Principal
Marita Diffenbaugh
Marita Diffenbaugh has twenty-two years of service in Idaho’s education system, from the classroom, school district, and university to the State Department of Education. As a servant leader, she is dedicated to using her strengths and experiences to ensure respect and opportunity for all students. In her newly published book, L.E.A.R.N.E.R. Finding the True, Good, and Beautiful in Education, she shares about how to connect learning to community resources and needs, along with strategies that restore hope and can support learners of all ages to develop their full potential.
Marita’s education – a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (K-8), Master of Arts with a Technology emphasis, and Education Specialist (Ed.S) in Executive Educational Leadership – provide a foundation for her work in K-12 instructional leadership, augmented by her teaching and administrator/superintendent certifications.
Marita is excited to offer Elevate Academy North, as a school of choice for 6th-12th grade students who are not finding success in their current educational setting. She is grateful for the generosity and community support that helped move Elevate Academy North from a dream to a reality!
Vice Principal
Tony Prka
Tony Prka has 26 years of teaching experience in Idaho. The last 20 have been teaching science to 6th and 8th graders in the Coeur d’Alene School District. During that time he has been involved in many leadership roles from curriculum development, gifted/talented programming, technology facilitator, building leadership to coaching varsity football for Coeur d’ Alene High.
Tony has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership. He also holds advanced certifications in Gifted/Talented and Science. Tony’s varied educational background and experiences provide a solid foundation that will support Elevate Academy North’s next steps.
Tony Prka is excited to be a part of Elevate Academy North where students will feel success in a setting that meets their needs. He has lived in this community for 20 years and has a deep appreciation for the community’s support of Elevate Academy North’s mission.
We Believe In...
We believe that all students, who have the opportunity to engage in school and activities that inspire them, will be more likely to develop habits and dispositions that will lead to success in the workplace and in life.
We believe in supporting students in their path towards ownership of and success in their life. We provide opportunities to build life skills through our Power 100 curriculum.
We believe in changing the experience for students that have not enjoyed school.
We believe in learning that is personalized to meet the needs of each student. Students will learn in teams for core subject time with guidance and mentoring of their teacher to best utilize their time. Students will be provided a variety of ways to learn from group settings, hands on experiences, and independent work based on their individual needs.
We believe in second chances. Elevate has created Peak and Crest programs that allows students who are behind in credits to participate and earn industry certifications and their workforce readiness certificate while catching up on credits that lead to graduation.
We believe in the Social and Emotional needs of all students. Elevate Academy North is partnering with local support organizations to provide resources that will be available to our students and their families.