The Life I Want
Purpose
The purpose of the school is to launch people into lives they want to live by cultivating hope, engagement, civic identity, and holistic wellbeing. This includes students feeling energized about their futures, actively involved in learning, prepared to participate constructively in a democratic society, and supported across career, social, financial, and physical and mental wellbeing. The school seeks to address the growing disconnect between traditional school preparation and the realities of adulthood by building a new prototype that shifts the educational paradigm toward long-term, future-ready outcomes. This work responds to a rapidly changing context in which technology is reshaping how we live and work, policies are evolving, future jobs and skillsets are uncertain, and the long-held belief that college is the only path to success is increasingly being questioned—calling for schools to be designed around the needs and wellbeing of students and families rather than the efficiency of the system itself.
Progress + Performance
Progress and performance are measured through authentic, competency-based learning experiences grounded in mastery rather than seat time, using a preponderance of evidence from diverse submission types and backward planning aligned to industry needs and durable, cross-cutting skills. Foundational skills—reading, writing, and numeracy—are universally assessed through a blended human and AI approach, while future-ready skills are developed and demonstrated within larger, real-world performance tasks. Student growth is supported through continuous, triangulated feedback from educators, AI tools, industry partners, and self-reflection practices that build metacognition, empathy, and a growth mindset. At the core is an enduring question about the relationship between foundational skills and AI-enabled adaptive learning, where AI and authentic experiences surface the relevance of skills, and educators play a critical role in helping learners understand how those skills unlock success within meaningful contexts.
Learning Experiences: Key Elements of the Model
This model is built around the belief that learning is fundamentally human, relational, and emotional—and that AI, when used well, can amplify rather than replace those experiences. Learning happens through a deliberately designed ecosystem that blends real-world application, mentorship, adaptive learning, and communal inquiry. Every student moves through scaffolded real-world experiences—such as community service, work experiences, internships, and industry-connected projects—coordinated by a Real-World Experience Coordinator in partnership with community members and organizations. These experiences are not add-ons; they are core learning contexts where skills, identity, and purpose intersect.
Students are supported by a team of adults with clearly defined roles: life coaches/mentors who facilitate regular coaching and reflection cycles; group learning teacher-facilitators who design and lead interdisciplinary, collaborative learning experiences; expert tutors who support independent and adaptive learning; and assessment, curriculum, and adaptive learning directors who ensure coherence, rigor, and continuous improvement. AI functions as the connective tissue of the system—collecting and organizing data on skill acquisition, engagement, habits of heart and mind, and learning patterns—so that adults can respond with insight, care, and precision.
Learning is competency-based and mastery-driven. Students receive frequent, actionable feedback and are rewarded for revision, persistence, and growth. Retakes are expected, failure is normalized as part of learning, and grades are reframed as signals of progress rather than judgments of ability. Interdisciplinary learning replaces isolated content silos, allowing students to go deep when curiosity is sparked while still building transferable skills. Diversity—of age, background, perspective, and experience—is intentionally designed into the community, strengthening relationships, civic identity, and learning outcomes. The goal is not acceleration at all costs, but sustained engagement, wellbeing, and readiness for a wide range of postsecondary pathways.
A Day in the Life
A typical day balances structure and flexibility, designed to mirror how learning and work function outside of school. Students might begin the morning in a communal learning block, working in small groups on an interdisciplinary project facilitated by a teacher and informed by real-world challenges or industry input. Later, students transition into independent, adaptive learning time, where they build foundational skills or targeted competencies using AI-supported tools and human tutors who provide just-in-time support.
Midday often includes physical activity and wellness, reinforcing the connection between learning, energy, and mental health. Students then engage in real-world learning—traveling to an internship site, collaborating virtually with a community partner, participating in service learning, or working on applied projects connected to local needs. Throughout the week, students meet regularly with a life coach or mentor to reflect on progress, analyze learning data, set goals, and navigate both learning choices and relationships (peer, adult, cross-generational, and digital).
The day closes with reflection and feedback—students documenting learning, revising work, and making meaning of how their skills connect to their interests and future goals. Adults review data collected across the system to adjust supports, learning experiences, and pathways in real time. The rhythm feels purposeful but humane: intellectually rigorous, relationally rich, and designed to leave students energized rather than depleted.
Time, Space, and Resources
Details about how this model comes to life operationally are captured in artifacts, including:
- Daily and Weekly Schedules (sample student and staff schedules)
- Learning Space Design (studios, collaboration zones, quiet adaptive learning areas, community-based sites)
- Staffing Models and Role Descriptions
- Real-World Learning Continuum (service learning, work experience, internships)
- Assessment and Feedback Frameworks
These resources are designed to be modular and adaptable, allowing communities—from large urban centers to rural regions—to implement the model in ways that reflect local context while staying true to the core design principles.
