Our Approach

Equity: Our community of learners celebrates the uniqueness of each individual and provides equitable access to programs and opportunities while promoting academic and social-emotional well-being for all. Meaningful ties among community members foster a trusting, caring, and mutually respectful culture. Intentionally diverse and integrated learning environments create a community-wide culture of achievement so that learners thrive in a multicultural, global society.  

Learner-Centric: Agency, managing one’s own learning, is cultivated through a collaborative school-wide culture and results in an ethic of excellence. Learners know what they are learning, why it is important, what they are going to learn next, and how they are going to demonstrate their learning. They progress on a learning pathway unique to them, where they are challenged intellectually to acquire the knowledge, skills, and habits that will prepare them for the future in both formal and informal settings. Learners are provided with the time and tailored support to meet high expectations in a safe learning environment that fosters innovation.

Authentic Work: Learners engage in authentic work that matters to them and the outside world. They use inquiry to design projects that develop solutions to society’s greatest STEM challenges. Literacy, numeracy, content knowledge and skills are strengthened through connections to meaningful, culturally relevant experiences across all disciplines. Intentional use of technology ignites anytime, anywhere learning. Learners make their thinking visible by curating and sharing their work with authentic audiences.

Learning Beyond Classroom Walls: Through multiple internships and authentic projects, learners become contributing partners in their work with industry professionals. Internship projects are connected to student interests and are essential to investigations throughout the curriculum. The relationships established benefit learner and mentor and lead to academic growth and character development. Through this work, students develop 21^st century skills, build adult relationships, and begin establishing a professional network. 

Family Engagement: Empowering learners to reach their full potential requires the combined effort of staff, families, and the community. Communication reaches beyond the standard parent-teacher conference to include parents and families as valued and trusted participants in the learning process. Recognizing, understanding, and valuing individual backgrounds and life experiences contributes to learners’ positive socio-emotional and academic growth.