Today’s ever-evolving world will continue to present both challenges and opportunities for independent schools across the United States. Over the course of the next decade, the widening gap between the haves and havenots, changing lifestyles, and economic volatility are just a few of the trends that will influence where people choose to live, work, and educate their children. Families will become even more fiscally-minded in the future when it comes to choices in education and will seek out options that have a bigger return on investment. Two primary areas families see great value in terms of future success in community engagement include a globalminded learning environment and technology-driven curriculum.

A Global-Minded Learning Environment

A new generation of global-minded families are looking to educate their children in independent schools today. This new generation of parents have experienced travelling abroad opportunities, learned a second or third language, and developed diversity awareness as part of their personal educational experience. They see the value more now than ever in broadening their child’s knowledge and understanding of international perspectives to help them integrate into an ever-evolving, multi-cultural world.

Due to small school size, freedom from state/government limitations, and a variety of non-traditional school resources, independent schools have more opportunities to design a global-minded environment for today’s students. According to Dr. Elizabeth Moore, Executive Director of the Independent Schools Association of British Columbia, “It’s about fostering cultural awareness, a deeper understanding of international perspectives and an appreciation for the fact that things are done differently all over the world. We want our students to be broad-minded, tolerant and knowledgeable because all of these things will contribute to being able to live harmoniously in a multi-cultural world.”

Independent schools seek to broaden student’s minds from multiple perspectives. Students at an independent school in Atlanta team up with kids their own age living in Australia to discuss cultural differences/likenesses, share ideas, and collaborate on class projects through Skype/Facebook/email and participate in an annual trip. Another independent school in Atlanta has a pen-pal program where students exchange weekly correspondences with students in China, learn common Chinese phrases, share family traditions, and exchange hosting students for a two-week emersion program annually. As the world continues to become more interconnected, students require a better sense of cultural literacy in order to thrive within this global context and independent schools are offering these dynamic opportunities.

Extending the global classroom beyond the walls of a building, many independent schools also organize service-learning trips, exchange programs, and cultural emersion experiences to support exploration of students in the world beyond the walls of their classroom while developing a global-minded awareness outside of their own personal frame of reference.

A Technology-Driven Curriculum

Technology today is evolving at such a high-speed pace that many school systems are not able to keep up with the advancements. This is giving independent schools the opportunity to forge ahead and blaze a pathway as digital innovators. According to Lesley Monette, Director of the Conference of Independent Schools eLearning Consortium, “With the financial resources in place, private schools are equipped to move ahead with the adoption and implementation of new technologies to prepare students for university and beyond. Technology promotes creative ways of teaching and caters to all types of learners all types co-operation and collaboration of learners. The skills acquired are invaluable and include time management, self-directed learning, co-operation and collaboration.”

Technology-driven curriculum in independent schools provides students with interactive devices and programming in all contents. These may include the following: traditional board work conducted via interactive digital whiteboards, utilizing social media, blogs, and wikis to conduct group work and promote collaboration, and embrace smartphones by integrating them into daily learning. Virtual reality, gaming, and robotics have also become common tools for instructional opportunities.

Taking technology to the next level in independent schools have been opening students up to some of the best learning opportunities available today. Students at Oak Mountain Academy in West Georgia participate in robotics programs where they work as a team to problem-solve, and to design and build robots. Students at the Lower Division participate in Lego League utilizing Lego blocks to build small robots while students at the Middle Division participate in an annual robotics competition through which they build a functioning robot.

“This is a way for the students to apply the knowledge and theory they have learned in the classroom in a meaningful and powerful way. These programs also foster such amazing creativity from our students which drives cross-curricular opportunities utilizing both technology and the arts,” says the school’s Director of Admissions, Katie Kilgore.

Over the course of the next decade, independent schools will have to examine relevance in changing lifestyles and value-position in a potentially volatile economy. Blending a global-minded learning environment and a technology-driven curriculum will provide opportunities for students in independent schools to make a difference in today’s ever-evolving world. A world that continues to present both challenges and opportunities for independent schools, will help shape the future of the independent school model.