At the heart of NuVu’s curriculum are studios, a series of 3-4 week immersive interdisciplinary projects. In a typical trimester, a student will participate in two different studios. Each trimester ends with an open innovation period during which students have the freedom to dig deeper into a topic of particular interest from earlier in the term.

Studios designed for younger students focus on developing foundational skills and creative confidence. As students learn to navigate open-ended problems, collaborate effectively, build empathy for others and communicate their ideas effectively using a variety of media, studios become more sophisticated. This process eventually prepares each student to complete a 12th grade Capstone Project on a topic of their choosing.

Each year, the NuVu team develops a new assortment of studios that connect with the relevant issues and challenges of our time. Here are some examples of recent studios:

Seminars meet once per week and last for an entire trimester. They cover topics where students have expressed particular interest. Through reading, writing and discussion, seminars allow NuVu students to explore topics that extend and inform each year’s studios.

Each week, NuVu also offers a variety of standalone hour-long workshops. Some workshops focus more on technical skills, and students have opportunities to improve in areas like perspective drawing and circuit design. Other workshops allow NuVu coaches to share their knowledge about topics ranging from logical fallacies to financial literacy.

Fall 2021 Seminars:

In order to ensure that all NuVu students have a well-rounded foundation in traditional disciplines, we integrate supplemental coursework into the overall academic program. Two blocks per week are devoted to this work, allowing our students to take accredited academic courses through specialized online providers and with support from NuVu’s coaches.

NuVu’s academic advisors work with each student to craft a personalized multi-year plan based on that student’s particular academic goals. Most NuVu students apply to highly selective colleges, and our team ensures that those students have met all of the expectations to be very attractive candidates for acceptance at those institutions.

Sample Four-Year Supplemental Coursework:

9th: Algebra 2, English 9, Earth Science
10th: Geometry, English 10, Biology
11th: Precalculus, English 11, Chemistry
12th: Calculus, English 12, Physics