Design 39 Campus | Edutopia

Schools That Work

Design 39 Campus

Public, Suburban

Grades K-8

San Diego, CA

Student stands at a window at Design39.

Collaborative Learning

Designing a Public School From Scratch

On a mission to reimagine traditional schooling, a K–8 school in San Diego puts teachers and students at the center.

Collaborative Learning
60-Second Strategy: Cooperative Learning Roles
Giving students randomly assigned roles in their group work helps ensure that they all participate.
Family Engagement
Parent Workshops: Strengthening the Learning Community
During in-school workshops, parents learn what their kids are studying and how to support it at home.
Interest-Based Learning
Explorations: Making Curiosity Part of the Curriculum
Student-designed electives put kids' passions at the forefront of their learning.
Collaborative Learning
Learning on Their Feet
Vertical learning—a framework for high quality group work—showcases student thinking for everyone to see.
Design Thinking
Design Thinking: A Problem Solving Framework
Students learn to empathize with others around the globe while solving real-world problems.
Literacy
Project: Every Kid Has a Story to Tell
A video project helps students hone their multimedia storytelling skills, while developing greater self-awareness and empathy for their peers.
Billy Corcoran, Mindy Ahrens