Why The Gathering?

Students thrive when allowed to learn at a pace and learning style unique to them. In a truly personalized learning environment, students are allowed and encouraged to set daily goals and tasks and to work on those goals at the pace and learning style that works best for them. Whether at home or at the Studio, students know how to set goals and work independently on their core academics. 

Our goal with academics is to engage students in a productive struggle. Working at their unique "learning frontier," students work to fill in "Swiss cheese" learning and make forward advancements in their learning achievements. When given this autonomy and a "just right learning" environment, students thrive!

We provide academic curriculum options that assess each student's level of knowledge. Based on this assessment, personalized learning plans are created that address any gaps in their skills and establish a clear path for advancement. Parents can choose their own curriculum, or we can assist in selecting the most suitable curriculum for their child.

Students participate in 4-5 week, hands-on, engaging projects led by local community leaders and industry experts. Instead of grades or tests, students showcase their work at the end of each project through an exhibition, receiving feedback from family, friends, community members, and industry experts. This project-based learning approach makes education relevant by integrating academic subjects into real-world contexts. Additionally, these projects help students develop essential work-related skills such as communication, time management, conflict resolution, creativity, and collaboration, mirroring real-world, multi-age interactions.

We believe there are multiple ways to launch into adulthood. College is one path, but not the only way. The Gathering exposes students to various career opportunities through apprenticeships, job shadows, and entrepreneurial experiences. These experiences help students grow in their innate talents and passions while also clarifying future job and/or training opportunities. 

The Gathering uses a Learning Coach to mentor and guide students. In this environment, a Learning Coach is not an expert per se but a facilitator, learning and doing along with the students as they explore passions and learn industry skills. Our Learning Coaches work hard to deeply know each student. 

Because learning is never age-specific and real-world work situations require students to interact with multiple ages and generations, students work in multi-age learning groups to mimic real-world experiences.

Faith is the cornerstone of The Gathering. We openly discuss faith in all aspects of The Gathering Learning Studio. The Bible serves as the compass of Truth as students discuss morality, ethics, and culturally relevant topics of today.