Our unique middle school program nurtures independence, creativity, and a sense of community through a mix of guided and student-driven learning at our outdoor campus. The program supports academic skills and social-emotional growth through purposeful daily and seasonal structures.
Our Middle School Program
Morning Meeting
Each day begins with centering activities and community check-ins to help students focus, connect, and set intentions for a meaningful day.
Designing Your Day
Students develop executive functioning skills by setting daily goals, reflecting on recent accomplishments, and identifying the support they need. This intentional planning fosters self-direction, strategic thinking, and ownership of learning.
Independent Learning Blocks
Students engage in self-directed, personalized academic projects and activities developed in partnership with parents. This can include online coursework, research investigations, reading and writing explorations, and other independent learning experiences. Educators provide guidance, encouragement, and support as students build focus, confidence, and a love of learning.
Collaboarative Discovery Blocks
Students engage in hands-on, project-based learning that connects their interests with academic skills. From science investigations and design challenges to community projects and creative research, each experience fosters curiosity, collaboration, and a love of learning.
Daily Rhythm
Each morning begins with Morning Meeting, a group check-in where students engage in centering activities, share reflections, and connect with their peers and educators. This time helps the community come together, sets a positive tone, and prepares students for a focused and meaningful day.
Following this, students move into Designing Your Day, an individual planning period where they set personal goals, reflect on recent accomplishments, and identify the support they need. This intentional, student-driven process builds executive functioning skills, self-direction, and ownership of learning, helping each student take an active role in shaping their day.
Independent Learning Blocks:
During Independent Learning Blocks students pursue personalized academic work designed in partnership with their parents. This time typically focuses on two or three subject areas and is coordinated with learning that happens at home. Teachers are available to guide, support, and assist as needed, helping students develop focus, self-discipline, and independence—skills that prepare them for high school and beyond. Staff are available to confer with families at the start of each semester to create individualized study plans tailored to each student’s needs and interests.
Example areas of study may include:
- Accredited academic online course work
- Informal online classes
- Reading or writing assignments from curriculum used in homeschooling
- Interactive online math activities or programs
- Research projects that are defined collaboratively by students and parents
Collaborative Discovery Blocks:
Collaborative Discovery Blocks are a cornerstone of the Trailblazers middle school experience, designed to combine curiosity, collaboration, and academic growth in a hands-on, student-driven environment. These blocks provide opportunities for students to engage in project-based and inquiry-driven learning, where they explore questions, solve problems, and create meaningful products while developing teamwork and critical thinking skills.
Students participate in hands-on, interdisciplinary projects designed around their interests. Projects may involve the whole class or small groups and blend academics, enrichment, and real-world applications. The examples below are illustrative of the types of projects students might pursue:
Science & Sustainability:
- Investigate sustainability cycles through projects in the community garden
- Conduct scientific research and experiments on the outdoor campus
- Develop a historic timeline of the school’s land, analyzing past uses and predicting future changes
- Explore entrepreneurship through designing small business plans and planning fundraising initiatives
- Learn web design to create digital content and interactive projects
- Design and construct a functional bridge using craft materials like popsicle sticks and rubber bands
- Plan and build a 3-D city model using geographic shapes and specific design requirements
- Write, rehearse, and perform a play for younger students
- Write and illustrate a graphic novel or comic
- Research a local community organization and create a service project to address a real need
- Produce and launch a student-run school newspaper
Collaborative Discovery Blocks encourage students to take ownership of their learning while fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and a deeper connection to the natural and social world around them.
Program Overview
