Will Smith Opens a School with Scientology Ties

A new Los Angeles private school is set to open. Why is this even remotely interesting? Did I mention the founders of this school, New Village Academy, are Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith? Interested now? Thought so.

Will Smith and his wife are among a growing group of celebrities who have established their own school or program. This group includes the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Andre Agassi, and Tiger Woods.

New Village Academy, which is set to open on September 3 and is placed on a campus in Calabasas, brings a good deal of controversy with it as well. Many of the academy's teachers are members of the Church of Scientology and the school will be using teaching methods developed by the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard.

Both Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith say that they are not Scientologists. In a statement about the school, Will Smith said: "About ten years ago, Jada and I started dreaming about the possibility of creating an ideal educational environment, where children could feel happy, positive and excited about learning." He went on to say, "New Village Academy was born of a simple question, 'Is it possible to create an educational environment in which children have fun learning?' Jada and I believe the answer is 'Yes.'"

It all began about three years ago. New Village Academy started as a form of home school for the Smith family's youngest children--Jaden who is 9 years old, and Willow who is 7 years old--as well as the children of several other families. An extensive search was conducted which yielded Jacqueline Olivier, who previously held an administrator position at private schools in Santa Monica and La Jolla, as the head of the school. Olivier said that some staff members are Scientologists, some as Muslims, some are Christians, and some are Jewish. She said the school has no religious affiliation.

Curriculum at New Village includes literacy, math, living skills, Spanish, karate, yoga, robotics, technology, etiquette, and art. Parental involvement is highly encouraged, as is limiting access to sugary foods and television. (Perhaps a bit odd for the children of a television star?) Critics of the school say New Village Academy is not being honest about its links to Scientology.

Source: L.A. Times