Personal Effort in a Chosen Discipline
We make sure that each teenager puts in the effort to attain a level of excellence in some part of life. Everyone has different talents, and it should be the role of the high school to help students identify these areas of interest and then provide the support to develop these talents. In this way, each teen can establish a meaningful basis for self-confidence and respect, tools that are essential in contending with the strong currents of peer pressure they face. The possibilities are as varied as the students and have included everything from singing, to cooking, to mathematics, to caring for animals.
Standardized Testing
Living Wisdom High School is based on a balanced development of the four Tools of Maturity: the body, feelings, will, and intellect. In contrast, mainstream education, with its one-pointed focus on obtaining higher test scores, has increasingly emphasized the training of intellect at the expense of activities that promote growth in the other areas. It is interesting then to compare the results of these two very different approaches.
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Score Averages 2004-2021 (Living Wisdom High School)
| Our School Averages | National Averages | Above National Average | |
| Language Arts | 640 | 533 | +20% |
| Mathematics | 608 | 527 | +15% |
| Total | 1248 | 1060 | +18% |
We also assess student progress using the IOWA Test of Educational Development. Over the past two years, our students have shown an average gain of 14 percentile points in comparison to other students their age.
A Personalized Schedule, Suitable for All Time Zones
Every student, in partnership with a mentor and faculty, designs a personalized, balanced program with experiences in self-discovery, academic excellence, creativity, connections with others, and service-learning adventure. The result is a personalized learning plan based on each student’s interests, long-term goals, educational aspirations, and abilities.
History
2.5 hours online with 2-3 hours of homework
History of World Religions: a study of the impact and commonalities of the main religions
US History: an experiment in democracy and human rights
English
2.5 contact hours online with 3-4 hours of homework.
English 1-4: Literature, composition, self-expression & communication.
Science
2.5 hours online including labs with 2-3 hours of homework
Chemistry: composition, structure, properties and reactions of atomic and molecular systems; with lab
Physics: finding out how the world of matter works through interesting investigations and fun experiments; with lab
Anatomy & Physiology: understanding how your body works and how to keep it healthy; with lab
Math
1 to 2 contact hours online of individualized instruction, with 3-4 hours of homework
1 on 1 individual instruction: Students progress at their own pace at levels from pre-Algebra through Calculus.
Language Other than English
2.5 contact hours online with 1-2 hours of homework
Exploration of language and culture
Languages include: Chinese, Spanish, Hindi, and others
Arts
2 contact hours online with about 2 hours of homework
Performing Arts: script writing, production design, filming, editing and performing online events
Independent Study: visual art of the student’s choosing
Personal Advising
1 contact hour online with personal advisor
Counseling and mentorship support in skill development, self-discovery, and college & career readiness. Go over extra-curricular activities, life skills, and personal well-being. Explore centering tools including meditation and yoga.
Tea Time, 1.5 contact hours: A chance for students to have fun together and nurture friendships in our online community
Personal Growth
2.5 contact hours with about 1 hour of homework
Non-Violent Communication, Ethics for Daily Life, and Raja Yoga
Personal growth courses designed to help students gain a deeper understanding of themselves, explore interests and inspirations, and learn how to manifest these changes both within themselves and in the world around them. Students engage in meaningful discussions, self-reflective writing, and creative projects.
Personal Expertise
5 hours of personal expertise/independent study monitored by advisor
Each student identifies an area of interest or passion in their life, and are then supported to research and develop a project related to that interest. These projects have included the study of neuroscience, poetry, computer science, art, music production, photography, and more.
Service Projects
3 hours monitored by advisor
A key element of our high school curriculum is to provide opportunities for students to get involved in solving some of the problems we face on our planet today. Our students have created service projects in their local communities at places like animal shelters, homes for the elderly, and preschools that serve special needs children.
Physical Exercise
5 hours
Students work with their advisor to implement a program of physical exercise that is aligned with personal interests and talents.
Work Experience
3-5 hours
Making Things Happen
Students work with their advisor to find ways of earning money to develop self-confidence and to help pay for the annual Service Adventure trip. Past projects have included: providing childcare, a car-care business, supplying firewood, and creating crafts for online sale.
Service & Adventure
Along with the teenager’s growing awareness of larger realities comes the realization that our planet is filled with problems such as wars, lack of food and water, and homelessness. Left unaddressed, this realization can easily lead to cynicism and a rejection of the adult society that allows these conditions to exist. A key element of our high school curriculum is to provide opportunities for students to get involved in solving these problems. On a local level our students have helped at places like animal shelters, homes for the elderly, and preschools that serve special needs children. Farther afield, our students have helped at orphanages in Mexico, protected endangered Sea Turtles, and attended an international conference on Climate Change and Consciousness. Read Shanti’s Story
When international travel is open for all of our students, we will offer a two-week service adventure the students can attend as a group.
