Independent Study

In the eleventh grade, students have the option to pursue a leadership initiative that builds on a topic or goal that captivates them. Working independently and coached by a teacher and mentors, students will investigate opportunities to invent, innovate, or campaign for a community initiative. This semester-long experience can prepare students for a capstone fellowship or internship opportunity in their chosen area for the following summer. The elective is meant to be a space that will be structured around a student’s idea, or a topic or goal that the student wants to pursue. The learning journey will be customized for each student, who will then work toward their goal. Along the way, students will discover what they need to learn, will rethink some of their assumptions, and challenge themselves. By structuring our independent study elective this way, students can pursue their passions that lend themselves to changing the community for the better. Those may be things students do outside school, they may be things students thought about or started in leadership seminars they have taken, or they may be new inspirations.