Featured School of the the Week: Lark Academy

From our friends at Lark Academy

This is High School Redesigned

Lark Academy is reimagining and redefining what high school can be. We took a hard look at the history of education in America and asked ourselves the question “what is the purpose of school?” Our answer — to equip students with 21st Century skills and knowledge, to give them access to resources now and in the future, and to provide a foundation for their socio-emotional wellbeing

Essentially, we want teens to exit high school ready for the real world with a supportive network invested in their lifelong success, resilience, and happiness. 

Founded by a former public high school social studies teacher, Lark Academy is innovating the entire education model. Our school looks nothing like the institutions of the past, instead, it takes its cues from modern research and disruptive industries to build a model for the future. 

“It’s the essence of our humanity—to create, to invent, to make our world better.”

 Ted Dintersmith, What Schools Could Be

We value the diversity of human interests and are creating a holistic human-centered set of programs. Students cannot be reduced to data, they are more than their test scores or grades. We want students to explore the wealth of ideas, options, and paths the world has to offer. We want them to feel empowered and heard while engaging in comprehensive courses and varied experiences. It is time to let go of the old traditional model, and listen to the needs of the generation. 

Did you know the American education system hasn’t changed much since its inception during the Industrial Revolution? Nearly 130 years ago, a group of university administrators called the Committee of Ten recommended the hierarchical structure of subjects, courses, grade bands 1-12, and even grades A-F. Today, each subject remains isolated in its own classroom. Students follow courses, progression, and evaluation systems recommended in the 19th-century, with a pedagogy that hasn’t progressed beyond the 20th-century. The United States has become a system obsessed with conforming content over creativity and standardized tests over human development. 

But now it’s the 21st century, and we do have the power to change how we learn. We believe it is time to innovate education in response to the new social and technological revolution exploding around us.

Lark Academy is creating a learner-centered environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving, the 21st Century skills demanded by businesses and colleges alike. 

We go beyond simple curriculum, classroom, or structural changes. We are changing how students learn, where they go to school, and what people expect from high school. Located inside coworking space by WeWork, students will see and interact with real businesses, intern, and engage in developing a network for their future. Time each week is set aside for diverse speakers to talk about their passions and expertise, showing the vast array of paths available to success and life satisfaction. Students will progress toward proficiency in knowledge, skills, and wellness shown in portfolios designed partnership with the Mastery Transcript Consortium.

Our programs will be as diverse and relevant as the real world, inspiring authenticity, purpose, and agency for our students, their families, and the community. 

  • Lark is enrolling students at the beginning of their high school careers for 2020-2021 
  • Information Sessions hosted weekly in February

We are currently working on establishing a fund to provide tuition assistance to families in need. Cost should never be a barrier to education and Lark is committed to inclusion and equity. If you, or someone you know, would like to contribute, click here

Want to join us? 

Apply today

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