NuVu 2022-2023 Curriculum

We are excited to be announcing the upcoming studios for the 2022-2023 school year! This year we have adapted core themes and skills that these studios will focus on throughout the session. This will allow for the students to have a better understanding of applying the learned skills to real world applications.

Core Themes and Skills

When designing each studio, a theme is paired with a particular set of skills. Over the course of the year, each student will have opportunities to explore a range of the themes and skills listed above. Some studios will be focused on introducing new skills and ideas, while others will be more focused on application of past knowledge. Many studios will involve partnerships with local people and organizations, allowing students to learn from experts and create solutions that address the needs of specific clients. In each studio, a theme from the list above is paired with a particular set of skills:

Fall 2022 Studios

During the fall trimester, studios will explore areas that include urban planning & green space development, educational toy design, health wearables and memory. The planned pairings of skills and themes for the fall studios are as follows:

Session 1 | September 8 - 30 

Foundations | Design Fundamentals through the lens of History, Identity & Culture

Computing in the Community | Computation & Logic through the lens of Civic Engagement

Upgraded Play | Engineering & Robotics through the lens of Sustainable Infrastructure & Systems

Session 2 | October 3 - 26

Soles for Souls | Research & Conceptualization through the lens of Civic Engagement

Health Sense | Fabrication & Visualization through the lens of Health & Well-being

Session 3 | October 27 - November 18 

Fall Open Innovation 

Daily School Schedule

Studios

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.

Supplemental Coursework

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: Geometry, English 9, Earth Science

• 10th: Algebra II, English 10, Biology

• 11th: Precalculus, English 11, Chemistry

• 12th: Calculus, English 12, Physics

Seminars & Workshops

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.