We started with the question, what is the purpose of education?
We believe that purpose is to prepare you for life, for your future, and for success. We don’t think high school should be a waiting room for adulthood. Nor should it’s singular focus be the college application. We think the idea you just have to “survive high school” is toxic.
Colleges and businesses repeatedly state that students exiting high school lack the tools they need to be successful in either environment. You deserve better. You need to be prepared with concrete skills relevant to higher education and the working world, held accountable to real world metrics, and socially and emotionally equipped for adulthood. We don’t think any of that should be revolutionary.
The epidemic of teenage stress, anxiety, and suicide is all too real and the pressure teens face is ever mounting. We believe in a school/life balance. That is why we focus on character and on social-emotional growth, not just academic proficiency. We provide a fully integrated social, emotional, and academic learning environment that allows you to succeed.
To help you balance your life and ensure your brain gets the sleep research has proven it needs, our day starts later than your traditional school. Doors at Lark Academy open at 9 am, which we think is better for everyone. Our project-based and blended-learning methods mean you won’t ever have to sit at a desk for six hour straight, unless you really want to. Everyone needs time to think, explore, socialize, and unwind in order to do their best work.
Using research and human-centered learning, we support our students holistically. We think about how the world works, why, and ultimately, how it could work differently. Our world becomes increasingly complex, expectations mount, and we inevitably face difficult periods of growth as we become active participants in the community at large. We all need an empathetic and engaging environment.
We will ask you to set goals, pose questions, evaluate evidence, think critically, draw conclusions, and exhibit your work publicly. No subject, nor any job, exists in isolation, so neither will your work. We are investing in deep learning and experiential growth.
Fellow Disruptors
We aren’t the only ones on a mission to innovate education.
Videos:
- What is School For? By Prince Ea
- Do schools kill creativity? TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson
- Most Likely to Succeed Documentary by Ted Dintersmith
Books:
- What School Could Be: Insights and Inspiration from Teachers Across America by Ted Dintersmith
- Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Tony Wagner
- Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education by Sir Ken Robinson
- How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough