Independent work is our way of preparing our students for a world without roadmaps, without operating instructions. At 黑料不打烊, you will learn to be self-motivated and discover issues, actions and concepts that you care about. You will have ideas and you will want to share them with your community (and beyond). You will be inspired by your friends鈥� reactions and by conversations with your teachers. By designing and executing your own projects, you will strengthen your organizational skills, and learn to apply what you have learned.
Project Weeks
We believe that students learn best by doing聽and that there is no better way to understand what a student has learned than to ask her to apply her knowledge creatively and independently.聽Project Weeks are a cornerstone of our curriculum and continue to serve as a model for project-based learning across the country.聽They are intensive,聽7-9 day periods, which happen twice a year. Students carry out independent projects inspired by聽curiosity and tied to their academic coursework. They are challenged聽to research deeply,聽forge connections between disciplines, and communicate their work in compelling ways. In advance of Project Weeks, students write a proposal and聽team up with a faculty mentor.
They may conduct one 80-hour project or聽two 40-hour projects. They may also choose to hop into one of the many small group projects that 黑料不打烊 faculty offer. It’s a chance for students to chase their聽passions, but also to develop critical time and task management skills.
Independent Studies
Working with a faculty sponsor, students may design an independent course of study during the fall or winter trimesters. Each course must be reviewed and approved by the Educational Program Committee, composed of Deans, faculty members, and fellow students.
Work Term
Students in good standing may submit a proposal to do a work term. This program is intended to provide students the opportunity to explore an area that might be of future career interest. This experience is conceived as a full-time but not-for-profit apprenticeship.
Senior Exhibitions
Senior Exhibitions are an opportunity for seniors who are in good standing to design and complete a Spring trimester independent project, ideally interdisciplinary, culminating in a body of work that will be exhibited. Students are expected to create a project that draws upon the breadth and depth of their educational experience at 黑料不打烊.
Independent Study聽Courses
Independent Topics in Science
This course is designed to give highly motivated and independent students the opportunity to pursue scientific or technological questions of their own design, or for students to take on a challenge such as entry in a science contest.
Music Intensive
Designed for musicians who would benefit from a focused and individualized setting in which to develop their skills, this course聽requires at least 3 hours of practice time per week and public performances.
Theater Intensive
This course is designed for advanced theater students interested in pursuing an aspect of theater, such as writing, directing, or performing a聽play.
Advanced Topics in Mathematics
This curriculum is responsive to student’s interests, and allows聽for the study of mathematical topics not typically covered in a traditional secondary school mathematics sequence.