Through its century-long history, Colorado Academy has responded to changes across eras by maintaining its focus on excellence in teaching, innovation in education, and community partnerships. Whether it is the founding of Outward Bound in the U.S. on our campus, our public-private partnership with Horizons, our global travel and exchange programs, or our Upper School Innovation Lab, Colorado Academy works to maintain its value and relevance as an educational institution.

 

As a part of its continued commitment to academic excellence and innovation, CA is launching the REDI Lab, an incubator for ideas and projects designed for Upper School juniors. “REDI” is an acronym for the cornerstones of the program – Research, Entrepreneurship, Design, and Inquiry – which runs for 12-weeks during the spring trimester. Functioning as a “school-within-a-school,” the Lab will operate as a highly personalized and collaborative environment where self-directed learning anchors the experience.

 

The Lab was created to challenge students to exert more agency and independence in their education. It gives students the time and support to work on innovative projects of their own choosing while also completing the course work required to maintain their path toward graduation. Along the way, they will have the guidance of Upper School English teacher Tom Thorpe and me, as well as the network of experts among CA’s faculty and members of the larger community.

 

Our vision of what students will do in this program is as diverse as their interests. With so many possibilities, a project could lead to new product or service development or the authoring of a book or the creation of an art installation. As students grow through their work, they will strengthen their research, writing, and design skills; use freedom and purpose to drive their own learning; and exercise ownership in a process that helps them differentiate themselves. Our goal is to help students become better problem solvers who have an authentic, real-world learning experience that prepares them for college and work readiness.

 

Why explore this new territory in teaching? We live in an era of great possibility. Acknowledging both the positive and the negative of this reality, the World Economic Forum has begun to emphasize design and creativity as a path toward overcoming global crises like climate change and political instability. (See the Forum’s list of critical skills, and how they are changing just over the course of five years.) And designer Bruce Mau, the founder of the Institute without Boundaries, pointed to the ambiguity of the times by asking: “Now that we can do anything, what will we do?”

 

The REDI Lab will begin its pilot year in the spring of 2017 with CA juniors from the class of 2018. Applications are now being accepted and are due October 7. For more information, please visit the REDI Lab page on the CA website in the pull-down menu for Academics.