About Us
Our Mission
At the Kurt Hahn School, it is our mission to challenge, engage, and empower young people so that they become informed, skilled, and courageous leaders.
Our Vision & Educational Approach
Like all NYC Outward Bound schools, we implement the nationally recognized EL Education model rooted in Outward Bound. This model features rigorous learning experiences in and out of the classroom and is built upon a high-achievement culture and mutual support. Our school uses hands-on learning that has real-world applications. At our school, leadership, active citizenship, and character development go hand-in-hand with academic rigor and challenge. By valuing community and character alongside rigorous academics, we foster a school culture that instills in students the desire to take ownership of their own learning and care for their community. Students understand what they have learned and why.
EXPLORE WEEK & INTENSIVES
Twice a year, we replace standard classroom activities with Explore Week: A full week of immersive and interactive learning for students, ranging from fieldwork studies to career exploration. In previous Explore Weeks, past intensives have included topics such as The Marine Ecosystems, The Hero’s Journey: Dramatic Writing and Analysis, Food Photography, Great Civilizations, College: The Black and Brown Experience, Arthur Miller Play Study, and Stories of Resistance.
CREW
Crews are teams of 12-16 students led by an adult Crew Advisor, often a teacher. Each Crew team focuses on building essential character & academic skills through a combination of exercises team building, student-centered academic support, conflict resolution, and adventure.
Crews meet multiple times per week, and stay as a team for all 4 years.
STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES
Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) typically take place twice a year. During SLCs, students select and present examples of their work, including places of mastery and struggle. Students take ownership of their own learning, publicly reflecting on and communicating what they’ve learned, in what ways they need to grow, and how they plan to do so to a panel of their teachers, advisors, and parents.
