What is Authentic Education?
The goal of the education at Cornerstone Prep is for our students to be effectively prepared for life and work in the real world. We want them to thrive in whatever area they enter after high school: college/university, trade school, missions/ministry, or work that is meaningful. No matter which of these areas students may find themselves, a few key building blocks are necessary for success:
1) Academics (book learning): Students have access to the best academic courses we can provide and teachers that are experts in the subject areas they teach. Our curriculum is designed to prepare students for the finest colleges/universities anywhere (even if they choose a different path after high school). Emphasis is placed on reading, writing, speaking, and creating content that is meaningful and important.
2) Hands on, creative learning: The most important skills a person needs to thrive in the real world are what we call the “real skills.” These skills include things like teamwork, leadership, empathy, critical thinking, problem solving, resourcefulness, and many more. These things are learned by “doing” and that’s why we create opportunities for students to get out of the traditional classroom routine. We want classes to have opportunities be more interactive with discussion, teamwork, and content creation being emphasized (not only note taking and testing).
3) Extra curricular: Extra curricular courses open up a world of possibilities for students to learn meaningful things that will contribute greatly to their success in life. Whether it is networking or marketing at a robotics event, coding or engineering at a major university in Pittsburgh, playing sports in surrounding states, or performing on stage in front of hundreds of people, these opportunities open doors for our students that they could not get anyplace else.
4) Service: A big part of why we exist is to disciple young men and women to be people of compassion and service. We build days into the school year that are dedicated specifically for students to go into the world and do something for someone that can do nothing for them in return. They write about their experiences and share them when they return to school. We have some of the smartest students anywhere, but being servants is one of the greatest things we can say about them. At Cornerstone, we create these opportunities throughout the year because this is some of the greatest learning any person can experience.
Combining all of these areas is what makes an education truly authentic and is what will contribute to making our students effective in the world they are heading into.