What does the world need from our high school graduates?
The world needs people who understand the basic knowledge and skills of key disciplines like math, science, English, social studies, etc. This is where many schools focus all of their efforts.
Venture aims higher…
The world also needs:
- Students who are skilled in rigorously researching issues and applying strong reasoning skills to understand and make sense of what they find;
- Students who can apply what they are learning to the work of developing innovative and effective ways of responding to the needs of our community, nation, and the world.
- Students who can push a project through to completion that results in a high-quality product;
- Students who have learned that character traits like grit, responsibility, leadership, teamwork, attitude, respect, and integrity matter more to success in life than anything else;
- Students who, through their work at school, come to see that the future will have issues and challenges that they will be called upon to solve, and this will require their knowledge, skill, and perseverance.
Venture High School is committed to helping its students develop these additional skills. For practical purposes, we categorize this work into five dimensions of student achievement. These are:
- Mastery of basic knowledge and skill in key disciplines (math, science, English, etc.);
- Strong research and reasoning skills;
- The ability and perseverance to create high-quality products/performances;
- Consistent demonstration of good habits of work and character;
- The application of education to the work of solving real problems that serve the needs of others and the community.