🐴 This school let its students design the campus. (#137)

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💡 THOUGHT

CHOOSE YOUR GAPS

Every educational model has gaps. Traditional schools might emphasize academics at the expense of real-world skills. Alternative programs might nurture creativity but skip conventional subjects. The solution isn't finding the perfect school—it's choosing which gaps you can accept.

Tyler Thigpen, founder of The Forest School, an innovative Acton Academy in Georgia, notes, "Take full responsibility for the rearing of your children, but don't expect any single institution to do everything."

Hear more from Tyler on school design, student agency, and breaking free from dependent learning on the latest episode of the OpenEd podcast.

📊 TREND

STUDENTS AS ARCHITECTS

When The Forest School needed a new building, they didn't hire consultants—they asked their students. The elementary students' winning ideas included:

• A central courtyard where 3-year-olds and 18-year-olds could mingle

• Separate "studios" (their word for classrooms) surrounding the shared space

• Abundant natural light and high ceilings

• Flexible, collaborative spaces that feel more like co-working areas than traditional classrooms

When they started this project, they had neither land nor funding. But the student-led vision was so compelling it helped secure both—including a land donation from their town.

🔨 TOOL

MAKING ENGLISH CLASS REAL

Located right by Atlanta's Trilith Studios (where Black Panther and Avengers were filmed), The Forest School is reimagining English class based on storytelling principles. Their "Story Arts" program replaces traditional book reports with real-world projects:

Students create:

• YouTube shorts

• TV/movie scripts

• Real estate pitches

• Data visualizations

Kids learn to tell stories in formats they'll actually use in the real world. Want to try it? Have your child pick a format they're excited about and tell a story that matters to them.

That’s all for today!

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