17 May What is the Purpose of High School?
What’s the deal with high school? At the School for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SET High) we think this incredibly important time in a student’s life is worth much curious thought and exploration.
SET High is a WASC accredited, tuition-free public high school in San Diego. From there we’re quite different from other schools. We want you to ask questions and expand your ideas, starting with what is the purpose of high school.
Life-Skills Vs. Test Scores
High school is more than a rigid path to a piece of paper that states you graduated. It’s a safe place to break the mold, explore outside preconceived notions and analyze idealized perspectives before venturing into adulthood.
High school is a place for learning how to think critically, ask deeper questions, and set personal challenges while collaborating with fellow classmates. Part of the value in SET’s high school education is the expectation to experience just how interconnected we are in this world, and how service work in the community absolutely makes an impact.
Take using AI in school. At our California Distinguished School, we decided to carefully and intentionally embrace it and make it work for us and our students. After all, how could we champion asking the big questions and ignore this technological advancement that centers on asking the inter-verse (Get it? Internet + universe?) all the questions?
We measure our success based on how well we launch into the world compassionate citizens, motivational leaders, and passionate thinkers who deliver astounding societal results over a lifetime.
Passion & Purpose Vs. Boredom
School feels much more important when each individual student is encouraged to discover their passion and create a learning path accordingly. Students discover their personal brand and how their brand needs to have vision, uniqueness, passionate determination, boldness, personal investment, and great communication. At our engaged school, we actively pursue students’ interests through passion projects and a rich array of electives, including one aptly named Project You!
The culture we establish at SET High ignites excitement and lends a purpose to learning. This also fosters close teacher-to-student relationships, which have been proven to increase the benefits of high school education.
When students know why they are learning the subjects in their curriculum, and have personalized teacher support in this vision, they are more intimately involved with the information they are absorbing and how it will apply to their future goals. It’s difficult for anyone to figure out the purpose of high school (and ongoing education) if they don’t know why they are learning the subjects we teach and how that has anything to do with their life path or passions. Purpose serves a great purpose.
Collaboration Vs. Competition
In school and in life, healthy progress accelerates with teamwork and collaboration– not by competition. SET offers each student individual attention from teachers and a healthy camaraderie with classmates.
When we teach high school students to ask questions of each other, listen to the group, and collaborate on projects, they learn much more about themselves and each other than if they were learning in an environment based on competing for the highest score. SET students are provided with an intellectually rigorous environment that brings out their talents and personality. Not only do we feel this better prepares students for college, it prepares them for future employment and a path to a fulfilling life.
Speaking of collaboration, this year has seen the creation of the SET Senate, a student club who ask the school what they want to see happen at SET. Once they have solicited ideas from the student body, the club debates them and comes up with proposals for the SET High administration. Through this interactive process, juniors now have off-campus lunch privileges and lunch ON-campus is more efficient with more space, microwaves and an electric kettle!
Grades 9-12 are such a significant time for academic and personal development. We don’t want to kill the love for learning at this crucial time in students’ lives, we strive to fuel it. Schedule a tour, shadow a school day and join us– we’re enrolling today!
About SET High
SET High offers each student individual attention from multi-talented, highly qualified teachers. Students build a healthy camaraderie with classmates inside an intellectually rigorous environment that brings out their talents and personality, helping them develop their individual character and direction in life. With a wide variety of electives, flexible scheduling, dual enrollment college classes and more — our students regularly exceed their academic and personal expectations. Enroll now.