CORE SKILLS (READING, WRITING, MATH)

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Reading, writing, and math are mastered via online platforms (e.g., Khan Academy, Lexia, DreamBox), which enable learners to progress at their own pace. This ensures that no learner gets “left behind” so others can progress. ​By offering an environment where learners can advance at their own pace,  learners can master essential skills before moving ahead.

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PROJECT-BASED QUESTS

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Hands-on projects in the sciences, entrepreneurship, and various artistic mediums prepare learners for real-world challenges. In a quest, which usually occurs over a session (6 weeks), practical challenges from everyday life are packed into individual and group activities. Each quest is composed through integrating different subjects, and the learning is achieved through hands-on activities rather than listening to lectures or memorizing factoids.

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SUBJECT MASTERY

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At AABC, there are neither tests nor grades. Learners celebrate the mastery of tools and skills and their continued Character Development by earning badges, assembling portfolios, and participating in public exhibitions. Parents can review a learner’s academic progress by reviewing their earned badges in Core Skills (i.e., reading, writing, math, and spelling) and Character Development (i.e., “Learn to Be”) Badges. At the end of most quests, public exhibitions allow young heroes to present their ] work to experts, customers (in the case of the annual Children’s Business Fair), or the public for a real-world test.

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INCORPORATING MINDFULNESS AND NATURE

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Learners practice meditation and spend critical time immersed in nature as part of their daily schedule.

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SOCRATIC DISCUSSIONS

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Critical thinking, debating, and raising questions and doubts are developed through discussions about important people, historical events, civilizations, and social case studies. The ability to listen, think, and contribute to a discussion is essential,  alongside the understanding that, in many cases, rather than only black and white, there is much gray, too. 

 

VOLUNTEERING & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

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Learners in the AABC community are also part of the larger local community and, as such, take an active part in it. They go outside, meet their neighbors, help clean parks and wooded areas,  and volunteer in as many places and for as many activities as possible. Giving back to the community is a privilege and an excellent opportunity for learners to connect with the real world.

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FIELD TRIPS & GUEST SPEAKERS ("HERO VISITS")

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To the extent possible, field trips and a guest speaker related to the given quest will be incorporated into each session. This might look like visiting a local farm or nursery during Gardening Quest, visiting an architectural firm in NYC during Architecture Quest, or having a botanist visit and take learners on a nature walk to show them how to identify edible plants during Survival Quest.