“What does innovation look like?” That was the question set forth by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) when they formed a task force to explore true innovation and identify schools that embody innovative and courageous thinking. And the answer that they found? Innovation looks like what we’re doing every day at The Children’s School! TCS was one of only three schools recognized as a prime example of educational innovation in action in the latest issue of the NAIS publication “Independent School.”
The Children’s School created a curriculum for our middle school students that teaches them how to approach difficult problems and execute innovative solutions through project-based learning.
What does meaningful innovation look like in schools, the magazine asks?
- A deliberate approach to innovation
- A real understanding of themselves
- A head of school who is deeply engaged in the process and who empowers purposely developed teams to make the vision a reality
- The ability to seize moments that can be considered “start-up opportunities”
Calling the key to our success “the courage to innovate,” the article cites TCS’s middle school project-based learning immersion as one example of how TCS is leading the pack.
The article explains how at TCS we “see the activity, not as an add-on, service learning program, but rather as the core of the learning process – with the lessons in civics, history, math, science, etc. flowing outward from the students’ experiences.”
The article also highlights TCS’s creation of the Innovator’s Playground at the Atlanta Maker Faire and our collaborative learning projects with the International Rescue Committee as other innovative endeavors.
