As headlines continue to spotlight academic recovery gaps and student disengagement, Ronald Robinson is asking a different question: What if the most transformative hours of a child’s day happen outside the regular classroom?
For Robinson, founder and CEO of Expanded Learning Academy (ELA), the answer lives in the margins of the school day, before the first bell rings and after the last one sounds. “Too often, before- and after-school hours are treated as filler time,” Robinson says. “But those hours shape identity. They shape confidence. They shape whether a child believes they’re capable.”
Designing the Hours That Others Overlook
Studies consistently show that high-quality after-school programs improve academic performance, attendance, and social-emotional development. Expanded learning programs exist across the country.
But Robinson saw a structural flaw in them: many operate as supervision models instead of developmental ecosystems. “I kept asking myself: What if we designed these hours with the same intentionality as the school day?” he explains. “Not as babysitting. Not as an afterthought. But as an extension of growth.”
Since launching Expanded Learning Academy in 2016, Robinson has focused on turning before- and after-school time into structured environments centered on social-emotional learning (SEL), STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, and mentorship. The model blends enrichment with academic reinforcement, creativity with accountability.
The goal is not simply engagement. It is identity-building. “Confidence doesn’t just show up in a test score,” Robinson says. “It shows up when a child raises their hand, when they try again after failing. When they take pride in finishing something hard.”
A Nonlinear Path to Education Entrepreneurship
Robinson’s route to founding Expanded Learning Academy was anything but conventional. He began in finance, working with institutions such as Golden One Credit Union and Oakland Municipal Credit Union. Later, he moved into retail leadership at brands like Gap and Old Navy, learning to build teams and scale operations consistently.
The pivotal shift came when he joined his family’s martial arts business. “That’s where I saw what structured mentorship can do,” Robinson reflects. “Kids would walk in unsure of themselves and leave standing taller. It wasn’t just about self-discipline. It was about belonging.”
That lesson of pairing structure with warmth and accountability with encouragement became the foundation of his work. Robinson later founded Black Belt in Fitness and co-founded the STORM (Special Team of Role Models) Program before channeling his operational approach and mentorship philosophy into Expanded Learning Academy.
Scaling with Integrity
Expanded learning is a competitive space. Districts want alignment, accountability, and measurable value. So Robinson’s growth philosophy is deliberate. “We don’t scale just to grow,” he says. “We scale to serve. If we can’t deliver consistency and quality, we don’t expand.”
ELA emphasizes partnership over placement. Schools are collaborators, and families are stakeholders. That means communication is structured and transparent. “Trust is the currency that sustains long-term partnerships,” Robinson says. “If families don’t trust us, nothing else matters. If school leaders don’t trust us, we can’t be effective. Everything starts there.”
That trust is built through the details: consistent staffing, thoughtful curriculum design, and environments where students feel seen. “In expanded learning, the day-to-day experience is everything,” Robinson states. “Kids remember how they felt in your program. That feeling determines whether they show up fully the next day in class.”
Beyond Programs — Building Ecosystems
Conversations around national education reform often focus on curriculum changes and testing strategies. Robinson’s lens is different. He focuses on habits and mindset. “When students feel safe, they take risks,” he says. “When they feel supported, they ask questions. Academic growth follows emotional security.”
ELA integrates SEL with hands-on STEM activities to help students practice resilience, cooperation, and leadership in low-pressure environments. Those micro-wins build macro-confidence.
“We’re not just filling time,” Robinson emphasizes. “We’re building habits — persistence, teamwork, follow-through. Those habits show up everywhere.”
Beyond Expanded Learning Academy, Robinson has launched Expanded Learning University and Expanded Learning Consulting Partners, extending his work into professional development and advisory services. The throughline is ecosystem thinking. “Students don’t operate in silos,” he says. “Schools don’t operate in silos. If we want sustainable impact, we have to think systemically.”
As education systems continue to evolve, expanded learning is poised to become less supplemental and more strategic. Robinson plans to be at the forefront of this evolution, ensuring that all of ELA’s programs are anything but supplemental. When designed with intention, beyond-the-bell programming can redefine what school support truly looks like.
Spencer Hulse is the Editorial Director at Grit Daily. He is responsible for overseeing other editors and writers, day-to-day operations, and covering breaking news.
