Every spring, something remarkable happens at Kavod Charter School. Middle school explorers transform classrooms into engineering labs, stage performances become acts of advocacy, and the entire school community gathers to experience what happens when science, creativity, and music collide. The OLAMusic Festival, or as some know it as the OLAM Festival, has been one of the most anticipated events on the Kavod calendar for five years running.
More Than a Science Fair
The OLAMusic Festival is student-driven, student-produced, and student-performed. From the engineering booths to the original music written and played live on stage, every element of the event belongs to Kavod’s middle school explorers. It’s a celebration of what’s possible when young people are trusted with a real platform to tackle challenges.
Led collaboratively by Kavod’s Integrated Science and Design Teacher, Mr. Kessler, and Mr. Lancaster, our Music Teacher, the festival lives at the intersection of two of education’s most powerful forces: scientific inquiry and artistic expression. Their shared vision is intentional, to show students (and the families watching) that these disciplines don’t belong in separate boxes. They belong together.
“Our shared goal is to highlight how music can serve as a powerful voice for activism and raise awareness around environmental issues,” explains Mr. Kessler.
This year’s theme was renewable energy, and Kavod’s explorers rose to the occasion in extraordinary fashion.
Engineering the Future in Two Weeks
Here’s what makes the OLAMusic Festival especially impressive: students had approximately two weeks to design, build, and refine their projects before presenting them to the community. The timeline was tight, and the results were anything but.
This year’s booths included:
- Solar-powered boats and cars
- A fully functioning solar-powered dollhouse (complete with decorative touches the students designed themselves)
- Miniature carnival rides powered by renewable energy
- Large-scale solar panel systems that charged batteries and then powered the lights for the music stage
This last one deserves a moment. The energy that lit the performance was generated by the students’ own engineering projects. The science and the music were literally connected.
Students presented their work to an audience of peers, families, and community members, explaining the science behind their designs and fielding questions from curious visitors.
“I feel presenting in front of lots of people and explaining our booth to them went well,” shared one middle school explorer. “In the beginning they would ask questions and were interested in what our product and renewable energy booth was about.”
Another student captured the learning that happens when you teach others: “I really enjoyed learning about solar panels and getting to use them to create our design. I also liked that we had to explain to others what electricity and solar power is because when I explained it to others, I got a better understanding and learned from that.”
That kind of reflection is exactly what OLAM values look like in action: outstanding problem solvers, lifelong global explorers, articulate and respectful communicators making a world of difference.
The Stage: Where Advocacy Meets Performance
While the engineering booths drew visitors in, the music brought everyone together.
Every song performed at the OLAMusic Festival is written, rehearsed, and played by the students themselves. Mr. Lancaster and Mr. Kessler guided the process, but the creative ownership is entirely theirs. The result is something genuinely moving: young people using performance as a form of advocacy, giving voice to their concerns about the world they’re inheriting.
For many students, taking the stage is a milestone they won’t forget. “I feel like going on stage wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” reflected one middle schooler. “I was shaking a lot, before, during, and after. But after the concert I felt relieved because it seemed that people really liked our song. I’m proud that I didn’t forget my chords.”
And the collaborative experience of getting there? Just as meaningful.
“I had a really good time with my groups for both the science and music projects. We worked very well together to create something we are all proud of. Doing it with my friends automatically makes the experience so much more enjoyable and easier.”
Why It Matters
The OLAMusic Festival is a window into what a Kavod education looks like at full expression. Students don’t just learn about renewable energy, they engineer solutions to it. They don’t just discuss advocacy, they perform it. They don’t just read about teamwork, they live it under real pressure, with a real audience waiting.
It’s also a reminder of what makes Kavod’s middle school program distinctive. The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme isn’t just a credential, it’s a framework for exactly this kind of integrated, inquiry-based learning. The IB MYP asks students to connect ideas across disciplines, think critically, and communicate with purpose. The OLAMusic Festival is that framework brought to life.
Come See What Kavod Is Made Of
The OLAMusic Festival exists because of the teachers who pour themselves into it, the students who rise to the challenge, and the families who show up and cheer them on. If you’re exploring schools for your TK-8 explorer, we’d love to show you more. This is what learning looks like at Kavod: rigorous, creative, connected, and joyful.
Schedule a tour at Kavod Charter School and see it for yourself. Spaces for the 2026-27 school year are available now.
About Kavod Charter School:
Kavod is a tuition-free public charter school in San Diego committed to growing the next generation of bilingual, globally aware leaders who will make the world a more respectful place. We offer modern Hebrew and Spanish to diverse TK-8th graders alongside a rigorous curriculum, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, and enriching electives. As a non-religious, dual language elementary and middle school, we are consistently ranked as a top 5% charter school in California and the nation. Kavod means respect – we believe respect makes a world of difference. Enroll with Kavod today!
