We incorporate our coaching with the top programs to challenge brilliant minds.  In addition, we offer support to build character, develop talents, discover passions, promote collaboration, and apply leadership to recognize each child’s unique qualities and abilities. 

More than a learning center, Avid is an open community to connect gifted youth from all corners—public, private, and home schools.  We partner with families, teachers, school administrators and businesses to provide meaningful development opportunities to gifted youth. 

Like a sport, intellectual pursuit is achieved through individual excellence and team building.  Avid provides a nurturing environment to gifted youth to explore, expand, and excel in their journey of learning.

Dr. James Li, Executive Director

An accomplished researcher in instructional design, a professor of educational computing, and a founder of award-winning e-learning and knowledge management companies, Dr. Li has over twenty years of professional experience in designing and delivering innovative learning solutions for many leading corporations worldwide. Combining his expertise in training the 21st century workforce with a lifelong passion in learning, Dr. Li advocated gifted education through personal involvement over the years. Consequently, he soon found his calling in identifying and educating talented youth. 

Dr. Li received his Ph.D in Educational Psychology and Technology and M.S. in Computer Science from University of Southern California. He has a B.S. in Physics and Informatics from East China Normal University, Shanghai. In 1982, he won a national scholarship competition to study in the United States. As a business executive, his company was ranked one of the top 500 fast-growth technology companies in 1999 and won multimedia company of the year award in 2001. Before starting his own business, Dr. Li was a professor at Utah State University.  As a scholar, he published more than 30 articles, 3 book chapters, and over 100 conference presentations on topics ranging from instructional design, educational computing, object-oriented programming, and artificial intelligence. 

Our History

2010

Avid Academy launched its Computer Olympiad and Bioinformatics Summer Program with 27 students.  We also developed an online learning management system that provide comprehensive learning resources to support our classroom teaching.  To serve students in Northern Orange County, we launched a satellite program in Fullerton with programs for students in grade 4 - 7.  Avid students continue to excel in math competitions.  Larry Zhang won Southern California MATHCOUNTS.  32 Avid students qualified for AIME (34% of Orange County qualifiers).  Six students were accepted by elite boarding schools.  Our first graduating class will attend MIT (2), Harvard (1), Princeton (1), Stanford (1), UC Berkley (1), Northwest Medical Program (1), and UC San Diego Computer Science (1) in the fall.

2009

Avid Academy expanded its summer program to include five sessions and added entry level problem solving class for 3rd grade as well as an AMC 12 class.  The redesigned program focuses on providing extensive feedback to students and parents regarding their performance in class, solutions to homework assignments, and small group tutoring.  Seven Avid Students were accepted by elite boarding schools.  Brian Wagner won Orange County MATHCOUNTS.  Eleven middle school students qualified for AIME.  31% of AIME qualifiers from Orange County are students of Avid Academy.  David Yang became one of the youngest USAMO winners in AMC history.  Edward Dinh, Dai Yang, Johnny Li and Ji Hoon Kang received perfect score on AMC 10.

2008

Avid Academy launched its Physics Olympiad Training Program and expanded class offerings to high school students.  David Yang won Southern California MATHCOUNTS.  Five Avid Students were accepted by Anodover, Exeter and Dearfield.

2007

Avid Academy launched its year-round program, offering problem solving classes to students in grade 5 - 8.  It also became an official sponsor of the Orange County MathField Day, a regional math competition for students in grade 4-6.  Jonathan Li won the Orange County MATHCOUNTS and his team finished first in team competition.  Avid students, Jonathan Li, Alex Pusey, and Edward Dinh placed in the top 16 in state MATHCOUNTS.

2006

Avid Academy for Gifted Youth was founded in 2006 with its inaugural Orange County Math Olympiad Summer Camp with 64 students.  Prior to the founding of Avid Academy, Dr. Li coached a middle school MATHCOUNTS team.  In 2005, Jonathan Li won the Orange County MATHCOUNTS and in 2006, Alex Pusey won the Orange County MATHCOUNTS.  All four members of Dr. Li's MATHCOUNTS team qualified for AIME.

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