Educational Philosophy

 

PLS was founded by a small group of families in 1970 because they realized that the education of their children was the primary responsibility of the community surrounding them. Based originally in the teachings of John Dewey, an education at PLS emphasizes the personal experiences of each child and encourages the child to take control of his/her own learning. It is our belief that education occurs best through experiential learning within a community of students, teachers, and parents in which each person has a voice.

 

Our Approach

 

Child-Centered

Project Learn School’s pedagogy is based on a child-centered approach. We value and emphasize a child’s ability to empathize, and show compassion for the members of their community. Teachers seek to create meaningful and lasting bonds between themselves and their students, helping them achieve all of which they are capable. We insist that students take ownership of their learning and play an active role in the educational experiences presented to them. These experiences will inherently be linked to students’ personal interests and innate strengths, and serve as a vehicle for more advanced academic learning.  

 

Projects & Process

At Project Learn School, we consider the learning process to be paramount to the product. For us, school is not only a place to impart content knowledge but also the skills to learn how to learn and to live. A PLS education builds upon a child’s inherent creativity and curiosity to equip her/him with lifelong skills of critical thinking, development of personal and collective voice, deep listening to peers, and working cooperatively.

   

Community-Focused

We believe that meaningful learning requires students, parents and teachers to work cooperatively in creating a safe and supportive learning environment. In addition, we are committed to engaging in the neighborhood around us and the world in which we live. Our progressive model allows students to build powerful relationships with their peers of all ages and with the adults in their lives. This helps our students recognize that, in life, there’s always more to learn.