These days it seems everyone has an opinion on how to improve education--and only rarely do these opinions converge. However, every significant educational writer, blogger, consultant and even the self-appointed experts do agree on one important point: the world is changing and our educational system needs to change with it. So how to create a physical manifestation of that reality? How to convert bricks and mortar into a visible teaching tool, so that the building itself becomes part of the instructional process?

With our new Upper School building, which will open for business on January 7, we have certainly tried to do just that. This incredible 45,000 square foot facility brings forward all the best ideas in contemporary educational theory and practice. All of those who have worked on turning the concept into a reality, and now all the students who are benefitting, believe strongly that this building catapults us deep into the 21st century. We are excited and grateful to be working and learning in such a stimulating environment.

The new building meets all of the pressing needs that had become so apparent in our old Upper School, not the least of which was addressing our inadequate science laboratory space. Our already strong program and science faculty can spend even more time on project-based learning. In addition to the six new state-of-the-art science labs, we have paid close attention to all the STEM areas (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics). The math lab contains magnetic whiteboard walls that can be written on, so that every surface can be covered with problems and work in process. A media center with a conference table and large-screen monitor allows students and faculty to collaborate on technology-based projects. And four digital screens located throughout the building will show student work, feature video footage from around campus, and relate important information to students, teachers, parents and visitors. Even more importantly, we have a large-scale Innovation Lab.

I have described the Innovation Lab as the crown jewel in the building. This space is unusual for a high school in terms of design and function. When we brought together a group of current students and faculty, along with administrators and trustees, to brainstorm the possibilities of the new innovation space, what struck me was that most of the people in the room were willing to think big and recognize the enormous potential of this two-story, project-oriented laboratory. The Innovations and Robotics electives will be hard at work in this space, but many other students whether in classes or not, will no doubt be drawn to this enormous and unique classroom full of possibility.

From a "green" perspective, this building has a plethora of environmentally friendly features of which we can all be proud. Because of the predominance of windows and skylights, natural light floods the building so that we can reduce our overhead light use by 80-90%. Solar tubes reflect sunlight from the top of the roof, bounce it down a highly reflective series of pathways and bring it all the way down to the first floor in fixtures that look almost identical to standard overhead electric lights. Water fountains include bottle-filling stations that keep a running tabulation of the number of plastic bottles avoided by re-using personal water containers. And on it goes. So many features that the building would qualify for a LEED Silver designation. All of these attributes serve to teach students everyday about the value of preserving our environment.

We have lacked enough student "hang-out" space for so many years now that it may take our students time to get used to the abundance of such spaces in the new building. In addition to four lounges (including one designated senior area), there are numerous smaller stations that are just perfect for one or two students to sit with their laptops and get some homework done or share an idea or two. The care and attention paid to designing all these spaces has again been in the interest of serving our educational as well as social needs. Today's students (and faculty for that matter) need opportunities to interact on a frequent, often casual basis. That's how much of the best collaboration takes place. I have noted in the past that much can happen in the two-minute interactions between students or between students and faculty. This new building provides a multitude of zones for those interactions to occur. Even faculty work areas--where eight or nine teachers from across all subject areas share space--is designed to increase interdisciplinary conversations.

The collaborative process that underpinned the entire building project was for me one of the most exciting educational journeys I have yet encountered. Literally hundreds of people came together and worked at the top of their game in order to be able to move from an idea to a completed building in about 18 months. In particular I appreciated that everyone involved was able to share their vision of what a state-of-the-art high school ought to look and feel like. The results speak for themselves.