Academics

Hands-on…

Hands-on learning has been going on since the dawn of time. At PRIDE Schools, we recognize the incredible impact the informal learning has for developing deeper learning.

At MIT, their slogan is “Mens et Manus” or “mind and hand”. The folks at MIT understand that theoretical knowledge must be accompanied by a practical, hands-on experience.

Here at PRIDE, students become familiar with a wide range of tools — both analog and digital — and build with their hands new products, publications, inventions, presentations, and experiments. Students learn not only why things work, but how they work, and are challenged to make our communities better in the process.

When we use our hands to find context for new knowledge, we expand our comfort zones. This stretching results in increased confidence and understanding. For many students, hands-on IS the portal through which they primarily learn. It is in this exploratory environment where boundaries collapse, and new knowledge becomes useful and memorable.

The world is interconnected, three dimensional, and ever changing. At PRIDE Schools, we assert that the best way to learn about our world is to interact with it. Our project-based courses ask students to get their feet wet, their hands dirty, and do something purposeful. Our focus on inquiry based instruction is crafted in the image of a world in which wide-ranging skills -- mathematics, writing, computer programming, and more -- are increasingly vital to individuals in society.

Come explore with us. Challenge convention. Do it boldly.

Connected

Over the last twenty years, technology has reorganized how we live, work, communicate, and learn. We believe our students will live their entire lives in an ever increasing technological world, and will need to become master digital learners as well as hands-on makers.
At PRIDE, our students learn to use technology in innovative ways to showcase their learning and deeper understanding of the world they live in. At the middle school level, this includes opportunities to learn coding platforms, explore the fields of computer science, and utilize iPad technology to create documentary style presentations of their learnings. At the high school level, technology devices expand with students maturity, teaching them responsible use of those tools with more opportunities for computer science, digital media projects, and more.
Project Based

At PRIDE, we embrace a culture of “doing” that is active and engaged beyond traditional coursework experiences. We have large “makerspaces” in both the middle school and the high school, outfitted tools and technology to create quality work that gets put on display at school exhibitions. We find that making projects energizes the creative spirit in students and adults, helping them to acquire and refine skills which facilitate deeper learning, investing positive change around our community and the world.
When we make things at PRIDE, a collaborative culture is nurtured and intellectual curiosity soars. Our students become problem-solvers, familiar with iterative hands-on approach to learning and doing. We believe making is a powerful way for students to turn their ideas into reality, to create something of value that is uniquely their own.
College Prep

From the first week of high school onwards, students are talking to their advisor and counselor about finding the right college to attend. They get the opportunity to work with college students in various programs, like bio-med, to get a real feel for college programs. By 12th grade, students will have visited numerous campuses, spoken with dozens of alumni and admissions officials, and found their “best fit” school.
High School students also have the opportunity to participate in college preparatory classes like the Diploma Program, Running Start, and more…