Our curriculum is always in flux, as we plan activities based on student interests, implement these plans, observe students’ approach to learning, and center their interests. This is commonly referred to as the “Plan > Do > Review “ Curriculum Planning cycle.

Each period of exploration includes time for students to reflect individually and in groups on these activities, their learning styles, and what they are most curious about exploring further. In essence, teachers create scaffolding that empowers students to examine how they learn and what questions they’re eager to explore further.

Teachers regularly reflect on students’ progress as well, and provide materials, challenges, and activities that align with both students’ interests and what they and parents have identified as areas of need. In this way, we are empowering students to have greater agency in the direction of their own education, and modeling how to seek help and access the resources around them in pursuit of their goals.

This Fall, we will begin with projects and learning objectives chosen from interest surveys students completed this summer.

See more detail in the grade level tabs below!

Thank you to every family who filled out our interest surveys! We loved your ideas and feedback. As outlined in the Curriculum tab, we’ll be checking in with families and students throughout the year to share our thoughts on progress, behavior goals and academic interests as they evolve. Let the explorations begin!

Student Interests

Based on your feedback, our year will begin with… Adventures in Architecture!

Nature, Order, Balance, Symbolism, Social Structure, Feeling, Climate and Sustainable Design! To start off our year, students will build an understanding of basic structures and weight management through engineering challenges like the Book Bridge Build and the Egg Drop Event. From there, students will tackle design and engineering problems that will introduce the 8 principles of architectural design outlined above. We will explore real-life applications or instances of each principle, and spend time practicing group work and learning about how group decisions can be made.

We expect a great deal of tests, failures, jubilant successes, big messes and of course, fun!

Other topics your students requested included Photography, High-Desert History (historical and present-day information for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, past settlers via Small Tract Land Act, etc.), Creative Writing, Math, Performing Arts and Filmmaking. We will explore some or ALL of these areas throughout this year!

Family & Educator Interests

✺ Provide opportunities for students to grow their resilience and ability to engage with challenges

✺ Support students’ ability to provide constructive feedback, and use critical thinking skills in working towards a shared goal

✺ Opportunities to try new visual arts materials and processes

✺ Practice empathy, self-reflection, and grade level Speaking & Listening skills

✺ Create space for students to build on their self-worth and self-esteem

Thank you to every family who filled out our interest surveys! We loved your ideas and feedback. As outlined in the Curriculum tab, we’ll be checking in with families and students throughout the year to share our thoughts on progress, behavior goals and academic interests as they evolve. Let the explorations begin!

Student Interests

Your students shared an interest in Permaculture Projects, Natural & Physical Science, High Desert History, Math through a Visual Arts lens, and Photography.

We’ll begin our year by exploring the intersection of Science & Wonder. How does invisible ink work? Can you predict what objects will glow under a blacklight? Are night insects attracted to lamps because of heat or light? We’ll follow our curiosity as we explore the world around us through the scientific method. As a class, we will conduct experiments to familiarize ourselves with how to investigate science questions. Through daily journal-writing prompts, students will accumulate questions of their own in preparation for independent projects. With partners, students will develop a scientific question that they find the most compelling to use in their final project, and develop a creative method to test their hypothesis.

Family & Educator Interests

✺ Provide opportunities to students to grow their resilience and ability to engage with challenges

✺ Integrate core subjects with new visual arts materials and processes

✺ Encourage students’ confidence in asking “big picture” questions

✺ Support students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills

✺ Create space for students to build on their self-worth and self-esteem

1st & 2nd Grade Classes | TBA. If you are interested in classes for this grade level please share your interest here.

Classes run from Sept 11-May 30. See our Calendar for observed holidays & breaks.

6th Grade & Up | Class meets every Tuesday from 1:30-5pm | Classes cost $56/week. If you qualify for a scholarship, your weekly cost could be as low as $24 on our sliding scale. The sliding scale cost for a year of classes is $924 to 1,848.

3rd to 5th Grades | Class meets every Wednesday from 1:30-5pm | Classes cost $56/week. If you qualify for a scholarship, your weekly cost could be as low as $24 on our sliding scale. The sliding scale cost for a year of classes is $924 to 1,848.

Scholarships reduce the cost of tuition up to 75%. Precise amounts can be found in “Class Cost.” We are prioritizing students whose families make less than 300% of the 2023 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for their family size. In short, that means we believe that the FPL is unreasonably low, and many families with income above the FPL deserve additional support.

You qualify for scholarship funding if your family earns less than…

$59,160 per year for a family of 2

$74,580 per year for a family of 3

$90,000 per year for a family of 4

$105,420 per year for a family of 5

$120,840 per year for a family of 6

$136,260 per year for a family of 7

To apply, email us with your interest, and include the page of your 2023 Tax return showing your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), with SSNs blacked out.

Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis. If you are close to this figure and still need financial assistance, please do not hesitate to ask. Our desire is to keep classes affordable and accessible for our students whenever & however possible.

We are an approved vendor for Sage Oak, Granite Mountain and iLEAD Charter Schools. Once your class enrollment has been confirmed, you will be invoiced for the cost of classes according to this choice through our ProCare software with a due date for the beginning of the month.

If you are planning to use Charter School funds, you must submit a Purchase Order (PO) BEFORE classes begin. We cannot admit a charter school student to classes without a PO.

Please note that we update ProCare to show Purchase Orders we have received at the beginning and end of each month only. This means if you submit your PO after the 1st of the month, you may not see this reflected in ProCare until the end of the month.