Our approach utilizes and combines a few alternative schools of thought; specifically a mixture of a Constructivist approaches. Constructivism, at its core, believes that children learn best through action-oriented activities, requiring learners to build on existing knowledge, rather than passively acquiring knowledge through direct instruction. In the Constructivist world, an educator works much more as a shepherd than a traditional teacher; encouraging children to think for themselves and come to their own conclusions. In our program, we highlight this Constructivist approach through the use of Project-Based Learning (PBL), but also blend in elements of both Montessori and Emilio Reggia ideology. The key aspects of all three of these approaches emphasize student-driven, collaborative and hands-on learning, which is why they blend incredibly well together and beautifully compliment each other.

PBL, as well as Montessori and Emilio Reggia, emphasizes self-directed learning as the best possible education to create independent and confident adults, capable of strong critical thinking skills.

Our founder has worked hard to create engaging educational activities that encourage creativity and collaboration, with the goal of creating experiences that allow students to have more agency in their learning and construct their own knowledge. Furthermore, since we value community involvement, many of our PBL activities will revolve around the Summerland community.

Our educators accomplish this task through a 5E Instructional Model based on 5 phases; Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate.
 

We begin by eliciting prior knowledge, preferably through small group warm-ups, then we ramp things up by adding in a challenging problem or dilemma that needs to be solved. Learners are encouraged to gather new information and modify their existing knowledge through presentations or discussions. Children finish their learning by applying what they have learned and are assessed.