Launching in September 2023, the Peak Pathways Program is Northwood’s exciting next level iteration of our wildly successful Independent Initiatives. In the Peak Pathways Program students will complete a two-semester, self-designed and self-directed, in-depth learning exploration of a topic or field of interest that aligns to their future aspirations.
- Students will attend a regularly occurring course with a cohort of students that share a similar interest.
- Students will be supported through the process by an in-house faculty member (a guide).
- Students will engage with external mentors** (in a variety of formats) and will make real world connections.
- Students complete a project of their own design and produce a final product and/or performance.
- Twice a year, students will reflect on their progress both on their projects (referencing the Peak Pathways: Quality & Rigor Rubric) and the program (referencing the goals of the program) through student-led conferences.
This rigorous approach will result in students who can successfully navigate a rapidly changing world. Specifically, students will know how to nurture and leverage their strengths to create value in the world and who know how to self-direct their learning and continually upskill themselves.
Specific Goals of the Program:
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Equip Northwood students with the mindsets, understanding, toolsets, and processes to be expert learners (learn how to learn anything) in the age of largely open-source learning experiences and educational disruption.
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Empower Northwood students with the freedom to select and deeply explore a field or career interest.
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Support Northwood students to further develop a compelling and personalized vision of success including self-knowledge including realistic self-appraisal of skill level & field knowledge and self-awareness of strengths, needs, and interests.
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Build Northwood students’ capacity to self-direct their learning including designing a personalized learning pathway (goals, guiding questions, and milestones) and connecting with high quality resources to support their learning.
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Build Northwood students’ capacity to manage their independent workflow and complete multi-step projects.
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Build Northwood students’ professional and social networks.
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Connect Northwood students with relevant and meaningful real-world opportunities.
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Differentiate Northwood students from other students in the world through their selected pathways.
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Inspire Northwood students with confidence and skills that are highly transferable to new contexts, so that they can thrive in a rapidly changing future
*Peak Pathways will be a graduation requirement for students in grades 11, 12, & PG, unless the student is enrolled in the Global Culture & Language Lab. 9th/10th grade students may be eligible to participate. Their participation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.