When students understand the real-world applications of their work, their engagement – and as a result their understanding – deepens.

At Beaver everything we do is student-centered and future-focused.

We recognize today’s students live in a world that’s different from the world 25 to 30 years ago and education needs to respond – just as it did in the late 19th century in the face of the Industrial Revolution.

We believe students need to develop essential new skills, what we call the New Basics: creative problem-solving, collaboration, iteration, visual communication, empathy, tech & media literacy, and presentation skills.

Prioritizing the development of these skills must live everywhere in the school – in 7th grade math and in 11th grade English, in science and in art, on the stage and on the turf.

To gauge effectiveness of this approach, we use a pretty simple measuring stick. At any given time, in any scenario, our students need to be able to answer two key questions: “What am I doing?” and “Why am I doing it?”

The New Basics

  • Creative problem-solving
  • Collaboration
  • Iteration
  • Visual communication
  • Empathy
  • Tech and media literacy
  • Presentation skills

At Beaver, students go beyond mastery of content and conventional problem-solving. They are prepared for an undefined era where the New Basics are the cornerstones of professional success and personal development.