Our Approach
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
Traditional education has walls. Students learn content one subject at a time. The reasons for learning are unclear. Where is the sense of purpose? How do the pieces fit together? How do students learn to solve complex problems? Or design systems and solutions? Or work as part of a team? How does learning relate to the skills our children need to enjoy success and fulfillment in their lives? To contribute to the global community?
ChicagoQuest Schools™ gives students:
A reason to learn.
We tap into kids' natural curiosity by giving them a "mission" — a hugely complex task that they can not solve with their current knowledge and understandings. These missions create reasons to learn. Students actually do something with their learning, right on the spot. Our approach sparks the drive to think critically, to keep trying, to persist for solutions. It gives students a sense of purpose.
A space to learn.
We design "learning spaces" that make learning natural and... fun. In these spaces, students learn through trial and error, they learn through teamwork, they learn by doing. And when tools, like technology and digital media will enhance learning, students learn by using these tools and creating new tools, in order to master the mission at hand.
A way to learn.
We offer a curriculum that is aligned with the highest standards for learning — Common Core and College Readiness. Many schools do. The difference is in the way our students go about learning. Pulling from best practices and structuring learning like a game, our students find themselves digging into math, language arts, social studies, science, and more, as they solve really interesting problems. Learning gets organized in a more powerful way and students can remember what they learn because they use and share their new knowledge.
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