At-A-Glance

OVERVIEW

At The U School, students become “designers” who solve real-world problems in their communities through research, planning, designing, and by testing their ideas.

Through these project-based learning experiences, students will gain critical skill sets. In the process,  young people learn critical things about themselves, so they can better compete in the post-secondary pathways of their choosing!

KEY MODEL ELEMENTS

The U School’s instructional model includes some of  the following elements:

• Youth development focus: all students will join an advisory team (called Possi) with peers and a mentor educator who will design and create a vibrant high school experience; Possi will support goal-setting, college and career planning, and strong engagement with families to support learner growth.
• Personalized learning: every learner is supported in learning with the amount of independence they are ready to manage.
• Competency-based education: learning goals are organized as “competencies” – the knowledge and skills learners must successfully apply in order to solve real-world problems. Learners only advance once they have demonstrated proficiency in the learning goals.
• Design-based learning: learners lead personal and team-based investigations around the “Great Challenges of Our Time,” and develop key skills in research, problem-solving, communications, and taking action.