The Vision
Imagine a learning community where learners work collaboratively to learn about what they want to learn about…where they document and share their understandings…where they determine and justify their own grades. Imagine a learning community where learners are encouraged to examine, question and refine their understanding of themselves and the world around them…where mistakes are celebrated as stepping stones to deeper understanding. Imagine a learning community where learners engage in solving real-life, authentic problems in their own community or from communities across the nation or the world. At the center of all that we do and work towards is the learner and the guiding question: How can we support learners in choosing a future with limitless possibilities?
The Founder
It is our right, role and responsibility to use our gifts and talents to make this world a better place for all.
Join the revolution
"Changes are happening. All around the world, there are many great schools, wonderful teachers, and inspiring leaders who are working creatively to provide students with the kinds of personalized, compassionate, and community-oriented education they need.”
— Ken Robinson, Creative Schools
SIMILAR SCHOOLS
Lehman Alternative Community School, Ithaca, NY
The Lehman Alternative Community School was founded in 1973 and is a nationally renowned public middle school/high school in Ithaca, New York. LACS enrolls 305 students by a random lottery evenly spread across grades 6-12. The school emphasizes student choice and responsibility, with each student planning their schedule and helping to run the school.
ONE STONE, Boise, ID
One Stone was founded in 2008 and is a student-led and -directed nonprofit that makes students better leaders and the world a better place. Our program empowers high school students to learn and practice 21st century skills through experiential service, innovative initiatives, social entrepreneurship, and the radical reinvention of learning.
Big Picture Learning, Providence, RI
Established on 1995, Big Picture Learning envisioned, students would be at the center their own education. They would spend considerable time in the community under the tutelage of mentors and they would not be evaluated solely on the basis of standardized tests. Instead, students would be assessed on exhibitions and demonstrations of achievement, on motivation, and on the habits of mind, hand, and heart – reflecting the real world evaluations and assessments that all of us face in our everyday lives.
Around the same time, the state of Rhode Island was re-examining its educational system. Dennis and Elliot proposed a design – a bold new school dedicated to educating one student at a time -- the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (“The Met”), the very first Big Picture Learning school. The first Met class graduated in 2000 with a 96% graduation rate. Ninety-eight percent of its graduates were admitted to postsecondary institutions, receiving over $500,000 in scholarships to help fund their college dreams.
Flex Tech, brighton, MI
FlexTech High School beginning in 2009, prepares students for life after high school by ensuring that they have the skills and confidence to surmount any challenge that life hands them by thinking critically, collaborating, and advocating for themselves. Flex Tech High School is a 21st century school that embraces project based learning because we know understanding and engagement come from meaningful activity. With ‘high school defined by you’ as our motto, Flex Tech encourages students to design their own path to graduation by taking advantage of interest-driven projects and flexible scheduling. Most importantly our students develop deep relationships with caring adults. Every student is assigned an advisor who tracks their progress, helps them set ambitious goals, and makes sure they graduate on time and prepared for post-secondary learning.