What does success look like in each Studio at Forest?

 

thriving at every step

The Forest School has multiple Studios—Spark, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. Each has a different vibe and purpose.

What does it take to succeed at each level?

Let’s start with the end in mind.

High School

To graduate from The Forest School, seniors must have learned—and proven a strong degree of mastery of—the following competencies:

Learn to be:

  • Flourishing

  • Purpose

  • Resourcefulness

  • Gratitude

  • Growth mindset

Learn to do:

  • Storytelling

  • Creativity

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Design thinking

  • Goal setting & reflection

Learn to learn:

  • The science of learning

  • Math

  • Civilization

  • Science

  • English

Learn to live together:

  • Empathy

  • Collaboration

  • Trust

  • Cross-cultural awareness

  • Social capital

Signature learning experiences at The Forest School High School give heroes practice weekly at understanding, developing, and deepening the learning outcomes described above.

But how are younger heroes prepared to encounter and learn these same things in other Studios? How do we as parents, caregivers, and Guides know whether they’re “on track”? What does success look like at the lower levels?

Middle School

In order for Middle School learners to be ready for High School, Middle School Guides work with heroes to demonstrate learning—and a certain level of mastery—of the following learner outcomes by the age of 14:

  • Emotional management

  • Accountability

  • Empathy

  • Math

  • Writing

  • Growth mindset

  • Goal setting and reflection

  • Resourcefulness

  • Collaboration

What this means is that Guides design and facilitate challenges that give Middle Schoolers regular practice at the above learner outcomes so that they’ll be ready for high school. Why? We feel that mastering these competencies best position Middle Schoolers to thrive in High School.

But what about Elementary?

Elementary School

In order for learners to be ready for Middle School, our Lower and Upper Elementary Guides work with their heroes to demonstrate learning—and a certain level of mastery—of the following competencies by the age of 10:

  • Math

  • Writing

  • Collaboration

  • Learning how I learn (i.e., metacognition and reflection)

  • Forest Basics (i.e., the unique systems of The Forest School)

There’s a ton of detail associated with each of the above Elementary learner outcomes. Too much to detail here. Suffice to say that those learning outcomes are the goal for heroes to advance out of Elementary.

And as for our youngest heroes…

Spark

In order for Elementary learners to have mastered those competencies, our Spark Guides work with Sparkers to demonstrate learning—and a certain level of mastery—of the following competencies by the age of 7:

  • Emotional intelligence

  • Reading

  • Independence

And there you have it.

Together these form a kind of “architecture” of learning outcomes that we care most about. Our theory of change is that IF heroes get practice at and demonstrate mastery of these specific learning outcomes at each Studio level, THEN they’ll be ready to graduate Forest by the age of 17 or 18. That is, they’ll know and be able to do the things we as parents, caregivers, and the heroes themselves care most about. 

 
Tyler Thigpen