At the start of each school year, junior and senior Innovation Diploma students in the Upper School begin with a real design brief from a real organization. Something that they have been preparing for and building towards since their freshman year.

Design Briefs are not a simulation. Not a case study. They are real challenges, with real constraints, from organizations that are genuinely curious about what a group of high school students might create. This fall, those organizations are Verizon, Mercedes-Benz, Chick-fil-A, and Piedmont Pediatrics. But before we get into the briefs, it helps to understand where Innovation Diploma fits into the bigger picture of learning in the Upper School.

One Upper School. Three Pathways.

糖心原创’s Upper School offers three pathways designed to give students more ownership over how they learn and where they want to go: Inquiry, Innovation, and Impact.

The Inquiry Pathway gives students space to follow questions, develop areas of interest, and turn curiosity into deeper study and original work. The Impact Pathway centers on the Global Impact Diploma, connecting learning to global challenges, cross-cultural experiences, and purposeful action.

The Innovation Pathway is built around the Innovation Diploma, a four-year Upper School experience for students who want to learn by tackling complex problems, working collaboratively, and creating solutions for real people and organizations.

Innovation Diploma, or iD, has been part of 糖心原创 for more than a decade. It launched in 2014 after a design sprint brought students and innovators together around a simple question: How might we make school life more reflective of real life? The premise has remained remarkably consistent: give students meaningful problems, the tools to explore them, and the space to figure out what comes next.

A Brief is Not an Assignment

Before students sketch, prototype, or pitch, they have to figure out what problem they’re actually trying to solve. A design brief doesn’t come with a prescribed question or a single answer waiting at the end. It comes with a challenge, a context, and a set of constraints. Students have to determine what matters, who matters, and where they might be able to make an impact.

Innovation Diploma gives students the opportunity to practice what it means to think and work like a designer: understand a problem, get close to the people experiencing it, ask better questions, and build toward a solution.

鈥淚n iD, our motto is ‘age does not equal capability,’ and briefs are where we get to show people that we really practice what we preach. We have 16-18-year-old kids doing real, actual consulting work with companies. They’re not working on a typical school project with a clearly defined rubric, outcomes, and objectives; they’re using design thinking to create solutions for their clients. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that we have with our partners.鈥� 鈥� Emily Wilcox, Innovation Pathway Lead

It’s an approach iD has been refining for years. In Mod 2, iD students shift their focus from external clients to a more focused, futures-thinking design challenge in which they reimagine the future of different industries. This culminates in an immersive experience called “Future Of.鈥� In fact, previous iD students have worked on everything from the future of retail and food to air transportation, entertainment, and cities. You can explore more Innovation Diploma stories from 糖心原创, including iD’s 10-year milestone, students exploring the Future of Entertainment, and students stepping into the role of brand strategists with Inspire Brands.

Four Industries, One Classroom

Look at the Mod 1 partner list and the range is immediately apparent: telecommunications, automotive, food service, and pediatric healthcare. The variety is intentional. Each brief asks students to step into a problem space they didn’t choose and likely haven’t encountered before. That means learning to ask different questions, listen to different people, and understand experiences that may be far from their own.

For the Piedmont Pediatrics brief, Caroline Birdsey, Class of 2027, shared where they are in the process. 鈥淩ight now, we’re working to understand Piedmont Pediatrics as a whole, especially since they recently moved into a new building and are expanding the services they offer. We’ve been researching, interviewing people, and looking at the experience from both the patient and the staff side. Eventually, we want to help make that growth easier for families to navigate and make sure they can clearly understand everything Piedmont Pediatrics has to offer.鈥�

The questions change. The users change. The context changes.
The process stays the same: start by understanding.

鈥淲e’re pretty passionate about giving our students experience with as many different industries, sectors, and businesses as possible. The reason is twofold: we’ve found that it helps students get closer to finding what they want to do in the future (or sometimes what they don’t want to do), and it also expands their worldview. When they design for different people, they develop a broader, more complete perspective. We can’t “design a better world” if we’re limiting who and what we interact with.鈥� 鈥� Emily Wilcox

Before Anything Gets Designed

In Innovation Diploma, some of the most important work happens before anything gets designed.

Students start with questions.

• Who are we designing for?
• What do we actually know?
• What are we assuming?
• What might we be missing?

They observe.
They interview.
They research.
They test assumptions.
They sit with what they don’t yet understand.

It’s not always comfortable. And that’s part of the learning.

The goal isn’t to move quickly from a brief to a solution. It’s to stay curious long enough to discover a problem worth solving.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited to be working with Piedmont Pediatrics as they enter a period of growth. After moving into a new building and expanding the services they offer, the practice is looking for ways to make its online presence and physical space clearer, more welcoming, and easier to navigate for patients and their families. Our team is exploring opportunities in website design, marketing, branding, and wayfinding, with the goal of helping parents feel confident and supported throughout their experience. During our internal review on September 10, we shared the discovery work we鈥檝e conducted through interviews and focus groups and received pivotal feedback that will help us refine our understanding of the problem and guide our next steps. We鈥檙e looking forward to our site visit, where we鈥檒l listen to additional stakeholders and learn more about the needs of doctors, nurses, office staff, patients, and parents so we can create solutions that make a meaningful impact.鈥� 鈥� Caroline Kincaid

When the Work Becomes Real

A real partner changes the nature of the work.
Students aren’t designing for a hypothetical customer or an imaginary organization. Someone is actually going to look at what they make. The questions become more specific. The research matters more. And when an idea doesn’t work, there’s a reason to keep going.

A Shared Way of Thinking

Innovation Diploma may begin with a different question than the Inquiry Pathway, but the two share something important: neither asks students to move quickly toward an answer.
Both give students space to follow questions, develop expertise, and make meaning from what they discover.

And while the Innovation Pathway looks different from Inquiry and Impact, all three reflect a larger belief at 糖心原创: students should have meaningful opportunities to guide their learning and connect it to the world around them. The goal isn’t simply what students produce. It’s what they become capable of doing when the answer isn’t obvious.

By the end of Mod 1, students will have designed something a real organization can respond to: a concept, a prototype, a pitch, or perhaps a solution that continues beyond the classroom.

But the most important thing they build may be less visible. They learn that they can enter an unfamiliar problem, ask better questions, listen closely, make something, learn from what doesn’t work, and figure out what comes next.

They weren’t given an answer to find.
They were trusted with a problem worth solving.

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The Inquiry Pathway gives students four years to turn personal curiosity into sustained exploration, real-world experience, and original work. It begins not with a predetermined subject or career, but with a question: What are you genuinely curious about?

That approach reflects something fundamental about how learning happens at 糖心原创. Inquiry is the first of three words that define who we are: a school of Inquiry, Innovation, and Impact. Starting with questions is one of our mantras for a very important reason. Students notice, wonder, investigate, make connections, and use what they discover to create something meaningful. The Inquiry Pathway makes that approach especially intentional and sustained.

It Starts With Question Zero

Every ninth grader begins with what faculty call Question Zero.

In the Cultivating Curiosity course, students learn to distinguish between a “topic question,” something that can be answered with a quick Google search, and a “fog question,” something bigger that resists easy answers and invites deeper investigation.

“We’re learning what a good question is,” says Alan Harris, Upper School Inquiry Pathway Faculty. “Is this too broad? Too specific? Can I just answer it with a Google search? Once we give students that language, you hear them using it on their own: ‘Oh, that’s a topic question. I can answer that easily. I probably want to go deeper.'”
And students don’t need to arrive with a ready-made passion.

“This is the time to figure it out,” says Alex Sims, Upper School Inquiry Pathway Lead. “We don’t expect every freshman to know. But there’s always something, some small thread, and that’s enough to start pulling.”

Once students begin asking questions, they learn to look for connections beyond the classroom.

For their fall kickoff expedition, ninth graders explored Atlanta, visiting Oakland Cemetery, Ponce City Market, and the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. Their assignment was simple: notice, wonder, connect.

Connections from Oakland Cemetery, lead to one student researching golf course efficiency after seeing Bobby Jones gravesite, and another made a connection through Maynard Jackson鈥檚 gravesite after learning why Hartsfield-Jackson airport was named after him. A student interested in sports medicine began thinking about connections to Emory.

“If you’re truly passionate about something, you’ll start seeing it just about everywhere,” Alex says. “That’s the bigger piece of it.”

The expedition wasn’t designed to give students answers. It was designed to give them more questions.

Question Zero is only the beginning.

• In Grade 9, Explore. They identify interests, develop questions, and build the skills to investigate them.
• In Grade 10, Frame a Concentration. They begin narrowing toward a concentration, loosely modeled on university “colleges” such as STEM or Humanities, while leaving room for their interests to evolve.
• In Grade 11, Investigate and In Grade 12 Contribute. Their interests become opportunities for internships, self-designed courses, and increasingly independent work. By graduation, students build a portfolio demonstrating not just what they explored, but what they created and contributed.

“How I would explain the Inquiry Pathway to families is that it’s going to take a student’s interest and turn it into more than just a single project or a single question,” Alex says. “We’re building a curriculum around that interest, so that by Grade 11 and Grade 12, students are going into internships, designing their own classes, and building a portfolio that shows not just what they explored, but how it could change that field.”

That’s what makes the pathway different from a collection of passion projects. A question leads to exploration, exploration leads to deeper study, and deeper study leads to real-world application and original work.

The Goal Isn’t Just to Find a Passion

The Inquiry Pathway is one way 糖心原创 students can personalize their Upper School experience. While the Innovation Pathway, featuring the Innovation Diploma, centers on design thinking and entrepreneurship, and the Impact Pathway, featuring the Global Impact Diploma, focuses on a global scale, Inquiry begins with the individual learner and the questions that matter to them.

Both reflect 糖心原创’s larger approach to learning: students aren’t simply receiving knowledge. They’re learning to use curiosity, agency, and their own ideas to shape what they learn and how they use it.

“My hope,” Alex says, “is that these students graduate having created something that changes their field, something they can point to and say, ‘I built that through the work that I wanted to pursue and it started with asking the right questions.'”

It’s early days for 糖心原创’s newest freshmen, but the pattern is already showing up in hallway conversations and advisory check-ins: students refining a question, going one layer deeper.

That, more than any single project, is the real work of the Inquiry Pathway.

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The cheers that followed set the tone for everything that came after.

On August 21, 糖心原创 gathered twice, once for Lower Campus and once for Upper Campus, to open the 2026鈥�27 school year with Convocation, the annual tradition that calls the whole community together to set the purpose and spirit for the year ahead. And this year, that spirit had a name: Creativity.

The Lower Campus Convocation kicked off at 8:50 am after students from PK4 through Grade 5 made the walk across the street to the Upper Campus Gym. Cecelia Rogers (Grade 5) and Ada Rogers (Grade 2) led the community in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the Invocation delivered by eighth-grader Liam Ireland. Livi Zelickson, also in Grade 8, then welcomed the younger students with warmth and clarity: “Convocation is not just about starting school; it’s about starting strong, dreaming big, and helping each other along the way.”

Head Prefect Eli Diaz took the stage next, and what he said was anything but ordinary.

The Upper Campus Convocation followed at 10:20 am, with the same electric energy. After Luca’s now-legendary entrance, the same student voices carried the program: Cecelia and Ada Rogers again led the Pledge, Liam Ireland delivered the Invocation, and Livi Zelickson welcomed the crowd.

Then Eli stepped up again and challenged his peers to rethink everything they thought they knew about creativity.

“Creativity is a choice,” he began, before leading the community on a journey that was equal parts art history and personal storytelling. He introduced the infamous artwork Comedian, a banana taped to a wall that sold for over $5 million, and used it to reframe what it means to be truly creative. But the heart of his speech was his own story: a community garden he built at 糖心原创 that was overtaken first by fire ants, then ravaged overnight by rabbits. Rather than walk away, he regrouped, designed a fence, and eventually watched vegetables from that garden make it into the Upper School lunch line.

“I used to think creativity was about being the one to come up with the idea,” Eli told the crowd. “That it was a talent, something that you either have or you don’t. But I don’t think that anymore. Creativity isn’t about the idea. It’s about what happens after the idea.”

Kristy Lundstrom’s address carried that thread forward for every age group. Drawing on the faculty’s summer read, The Creativity Choice by Dr. Zorana Pringle, she brought the science of creativity to life through two unforgettable stories: Dr. James Naismith’s invention of basketball (and the ladder required to retrieve the ball from a solid peach basket) and Greta Thunberg’s 251 consecutive Fridays of showing up alone outside the Swedish Parliament before millions joined her. Student actors Reid, Juliet, Janae, and Oliver brought the Naismith story to life in a live vignette, with Charlotte, CC, Matthew, and Nora embodying the Thunberg story.

“You are already creative,” Kristy told students. “Creativity is not something only a few people have. Creativity is a choice.” She closed with two MV commitments that will anchor the year: Start with Questions and Be brave to try and try again.

Both Convocations closed with a benediction from Stacey Lee and a performance of “Unwritten” by The Stangs, a fitting anthem for a community ready to write the next chapter.

With a completed capital campaign and a theme built for the moment, 糖心原创 is starting the year exactly the way it finishes: by choosing to create something worth showing up for. The idea is just the beginning.

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The Wood Family Track and Streck Family Field

The centerpiece of this summer’s work is the stunning new athletic complex on the upper campus. A brand-new, six-lane track, named the Wood Family Track, now surrounds the Streck Family Field, a beautiful new turf surface built for football, lacrosse, and soccer. The complex also connects to expanded cross-country trails, making it possible, for the first time, to host a full 5K race entirely on campus.

“Walking out there for the first time, I got chills,” said Athletics Director Scott Cain. “This isn’t just an upgrade, it changes what’s possible for our student-athletes and for this community. We’re going to make some memories on that field.”

The Let’s Do This Campaign: Done. What’s Next: Even Better.

Here’s some news worth celebrating: the Let’s Do This Campaign is complete, thanks to the incredible generosity of our 糖心原创 community. Three support buildings will begin construction in the weeks and months ahead 鈥� two near the baseball and softball fields at the upper campus entrance, and a field house within the track and field complex. These aren’t small additions. They’re the finishing touches on a vision our community made real.

“The generosity we’ve seen is humbling,” said Head of School Kristy Lundstrom. “Every gift, every single one, moved us closer to something extraordinary. What’s been built this summer, and what’s still coming, is a direct reflection of how much this community believes in our students.”

A Refreshed Gym, Inside and Out

Step into the Upper Campus gym and you’ll immediately notice new lights, fresh paint, and a brand-new floor that make the space feel completely transformed. The refresh, made possible by 2025鈥�26 Annual Fund dollars, maximizes both the main basketball and volleyball courts and the practice courts. It’s a brighter, better space, and a great reminder of what Annual Fund giving makes possible every year.

Still to Come: The Frontier

On the lower campus, the Frontier is still taking shape. It remains one of the most anticipated projects we’ve undertaken, and the wait is almost over. More soon.

The Details You Might Have Missed

Not everything this summer came with a ribbon-cutting. The Lower School received a completely new intercom system, a meaningful upgrade for both communication and security that ensures every student starts their day in a safe and connected environment.

“It’s the kind of thing you don’t notice until it’s there,” said Kristy. “And then you can’t imagine being without it.”

Welcome back, 糖心原创. We think you’re going to love what you find.

The post While You Were Away: A Summer of Transformation at 糖心原创 appeared first on 糖心原创.

The project is rooted in the student video contest, an opportunity Lariscy discovered when she joined 糖心原创 in 2021.

鈥淚 came across the contest while looking for human population resources for my AP Environmental Science students,鈥� she explains. 鈥淎t the time, it was called the World of 7 Billion, and I immediately saw how naturally it connected to what we were already studying in class.鈥�

What began as an optional enrichment opportunity has grown into a powerful extension of the AP Environmental Science curriculum. While participation in the contest is never required, many students choose to take their work one step further by submitting their videos to a global audience.

鈥淚 never wanted it to feel like just another assignment,鈥� Lariscy says. 鈥淪ubmitting to the contest was always meant to be an opportunity for students who felt proud of their work and wanted their ideas to reach a larger audience.鈥�

The Power of Constraints

Students are given just a few days to research complex global issues, ranging from economics to wetlands to public health, before distilling their findings into a tightly scripted, one-minute video. 鈥淭hey have to document their research, really understand the problem, and then write a script that鈥檚 exact,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of moving parts, research, writing, timing, video production, all coming together.鈥�
For many students, the challenge lies not just in the content but in the clarity. 鈥淭o take something broad and narrow it down to one specific problem with one actionable solution鈥攖hat鈥檚 the hard part,鈥� Lariscy explains. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where the real thinking happens.鈥�

Making the Global Personal

While the topics are global, the impact becomes personal. 鈥淲hen they鈥檙e in school every day, these concepts can feel far away,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut when they choose their own topic and do their own research, that鈥檚 when it clicks.鈥�

Students explore issues like homelessness, plastic pollution, and the health of local wetlands, often connecting global challenges to their own communities.

鈥淲e talk about what鈥檚 happening right here, like the Chattahoochee River, and why it matters,鈥� Lariscy says. 鈥淪ome students go global, others stay local. But either way, they鈥檙e making meaningful connections.鈥�

Beyond Science: Building Real-World Skills

The project stretches students beyond traditional science learning. Many are producing videos for the first time, learning how to communicate complex ideas with precision and creativity.

鈥淢any students have never created something like this before,鈥� Lariscy says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e learning how to communicate science visually, how to tell a story, and how to make people care about an issue in a very short amount of time.鈥�

The result is a blend of scientific research, storytelling, and technical skill that mirrors the kind of communication required for real-world problem-solving.

This year marked a milestone for 糖心原创. For the first time, two students earned top recognition in the international competition, an achievement that exceeded all previous years.

鈥淭his is definitely the farthest we鈥檝e ever gotten,鈥� Lariscy says. 鈥淲ith thousands of students entering from around the world, getting that email was unbelievable.鈥�

Beyond the recognition, the experience has had a lasting impact on student confidence.

鈥淚 want students to understand that their voice matters,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey may not solve a global problem overnight, but they can raise awareness, spark conversation, and propose meaningful solutions. That鈥檚 powerful.鈥�

At its core, the project reflects a central belief of 糖心原创鈥檚 approach to learning: that students are capable of engaging with real-world challenges鈥攁nd contributing meaningfully to solutions. 鈥淭hese are big, complicated challenges,鈥� Lariscy says. 鈥淓nvironmental issues can feel overwhelming, but instead of turning away from them, students are learning how to engage thoughtfully, ask questions, and think about solutions.鈥�

And sometimes, all it takes is one minute.

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For this class, 糖心原创 has been more than a school. It has been a place to ask questions, discover passions, build lifelong friendships, and step boldly into new experiences. Each student鈥檚 path has been uniquely their own, shaped by the people, opportunities, and moments that helped them grow into who they are becoming.

View the photo galleries:

Head of School Kristy Lundstrom reflected on the significance of the Class of 2026 and the legacy they leave behind. 鈥淭his class has consistently demonstrated what it means to lead with courage, humility, and purpose. They embraced challenge, cared deeply for one another, and helped shape the culture of our community in meaningful ways. We are incredibly proud of who they are and who they are becoming.鈥�

The Senior Luncheon on April 22 brought students, faculty, and families together to celebrate the relationships and shared experiences that shaped the class throughout their years at 糖心原创. Stories were shared, laughter echoed across tables, and the community paused to honor the people and moments that made this journey meaningful.

During the Honors Ceremony on April 29, the community celebrated a defining characteristic of the Upper School experience: a deep commitment to curiosity, growth, and academic excellence. Students were recognized not only for their accomplishments but also for the way they pursued learning with intention, resilience, and integrity.

Congratulations to Class of 2026 Valedictorian Cameron Bogdanchik, Salutatorian Christian Foster, and Class Speaker Maya Chopra. Their leadership and dedication reflect what is possible when purpose meets perseverance and when students are empowered to pursue learning with both ambition and heart.

And to every student recognized, the message was clear: your contributions matter. Whether in classrooms, on stages, in studios, on athletic fields, through service, or in the everyday moments of community, each Senior helped shape the story of this class.

Current Head of Upper School Trish Bogdanchick shared her admiration for the graduating class. 鈥淭he Class of 2026 has led with remarkable thoughtfulness and empathy. They have supported each other, laughed with us, and grown into confident young adults. Watching them grow for the past four years has been an absolute joy I will carry with me for many years to come.鈥�

On Friday, May 8, Seniors celebrated their final official day as 糖心原创 students, marking the occasion with beloved traditions, reflection, and one final opportunity to gather as a class before Commencement. The day was filled with both celebration and nostalgia as students revisited spaces and relationships that have shaped their experience over the years.

Incoming Head of Upper School Brad Droke also reflected on the Class of 2026’s impact as they prepare to take their next steps. 鈥淭he Class of 2026 represents the very best of what鈥檚 possible when students are empowered to discover who they are and how they want to impact the world. Their future is incredibly bright, and I鈥檓 excited to see the paths they pursue beyond 糖心原创.鈥�

The story of this class can also be seen in the opportunities they will pursue next:

• 125 graduates, including 10 MVSO graduates
• 70% will attend college out of state at 59 different schools
• Twelve Mustangs will attend Georgia Institute of Technology, and twelve will attend the University of Georgia
• Ten students playing collegiate sports
• Across 996 applications, the class earned an overall acceptance rate of 62% in the United States and abroad

These outcomes reflect more than impressive numbers. They represent years of discovery, persistence, creativity, and support from teachers, mentors, families, and peers. They reflect students who learned how to think deeply, lead courageously, collaborate meaningfully, and approach the world with empathy and purpose.

Commencement 2026 is the culmination of 糖心原创鈥檚 promise to prepare students to be college-ready, globally competitive, and engaged citizen leaders. As the Class of 2026 crosses the stage, they do so equipped not only with academic preparation but with the confidence, curiosity, and character to make a meaningful impact wherever their journeys lead next.

Commencement 2026 will take place on Saturday, May 16, at 9:00 am. The entire 糖心原创 community is invited to celebrate this incredible milestone as the Class of 2026 takes the stage and steps into the future by joining us as we celebrate the remarkable journey of the 糖心原创 Class of 2026.

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What comes next

This summer, 糖心原创 will break ground on the next final piece of the Let鈥檚 Do This campaign:

• A new field house adjacent to the new field
• Locker rooms, restrooms, and concessions to serve the baseball and softball complex

These additions are more than facilities; they are spaces designed to support student-athletes, foster community, and elevate the everyday experience of being a Mustang.

鈥淭his campaign has always been about more than buildings,鈥� said Kristy Lundstrom, Head of School. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about creating environments where students are known, challenged, and inspired. These final projects ensure that every student, on the field, in the stands, or simply gathering with friends, experiences a campus designed with purpose.鈥�

For student-athletes, those spaces represent something deeply personal.

鈥淗aving spaces built for us, locker rooms, a field house, it changes how it feels to show up every day. It tells us that what we鈥檙e doing matters, and that we鈥檙e part of something bigger than just our team.鈥�
鈥� Class of 2026, Softball

鈥淩ight now, we make the most of what we have. But knowing these spaces are coming, it鈥檚 exciting. It鈥檚 going to bring our teams closer together and make game days feel even more like home.鈥�
鈥� Will Curry, Class of 2029, Soccer

Finishing Strong, Together

To carry the campaign across the finish line, 糖心原创 has launched the , a limited-time opportunity for families, alumni, and supporters to become part of the school’s physical story, in addition to finalizing outstanding major gifts.

For a gift of $1,500, supporters can reserve one of just 200 commemorative bricks, permanently installed on the MAC patio, a central gathering place and gateway to the Upper Campus expansion.

Each brick represents more than a name. It is a visible, lasting expression of belief in what 糖心原创 makes possible.

鈥溙切脑� shaped so much of who I am. Having a chance to leave a permanent mark on campus feels like coming full circle.鈥�
鈥� Beau Reinking, Class of 2025

What Your Gift Makes Possible

A new gift of $1,500 is both a contribution to the future of 糖心原创, and a permanent place within it.
Each contribution helps:

• Fully close out the Let鈥檚 Do This capital campaign
• Bring the final campus projects to life
• Ensure every space is ready for students in the coming school year

As part of their gift, supporters receive a custom-engraved brick permanently installed on campus, with the option to be recognized as a campaign participant.

Donors of $5,000 and above will be listed on a permanent donor wall commemorating the LDT Campaign.

A Place That Lasts

Positioned at the corner of the MAC, the patio will serve as a central hub of campus life鈥攁 place where students gather, families connect, and milestones are celebrated.

In the years ahead, it will also tell a story.

A story of a community that came together to imagine more, invest boldly, and follow through鈥攔ight to the very end.

鈥淭hese aren鈥檛 just facilities, they鈥檙e environments where students build confidence, resilience, and connection. Having spaces that match the level of commitment our students bring every day is incredibly meaningful.鈥�
鈥� Jennifer Brown, Athletic Director, Engagement & Experience

鈥淢oments like this define a school,鈥� Lundstrom added. 鈥淣ot just what we build, but how we build it, together.鈥�

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Yet, some experiences transcend pathways altogether. The Global Exchange Program is one of them.

Open to any Upper School student with proficiency in French or Spanish, the program invites learners, regardless of pathway, to step into a five-week, fully immersive cultural experience. Following Winter Break, 糖心原创 students travel to France, where they live and learn alongside host families. This year, Sara Castro (Class of 2028) and Eli Diaz (Class of 2027) embraced that opportunity. The exchange continues stateside in late March, when their French partners, Hidaya Benhayoun and Yoann Capgras, arrive and remain on campus through the end of April, completing the full arc of this shared global experience.

鈥淭his is something any student can do,鈥� says Associate Head of Upper School Abe Pachikara. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not tied to a specific pathway; it鈥檚 tied to a readiness and willingness to immerse yourself in language and culture.鈥�

The Most Authentic Cultural Immersion

Global learning takes many forms at 糖心原创, but the exchange program stands apart in one defining way: authenticity. 鈥淭his is the most culturally immersive experience we offer,鈥� Abe explains. 鈥淪tudents aren鈥檛 just visiting, they鈥檙e living it.鈥�

For Sara, that reality came with both excitement and uncertainty. 鈥淎s the day started getting near, I started getting more scared,鈥� she admits. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what I was getting myself into.鈥�

Across the Atlantic, Sara鈥檚 exchange partner, Hidaya Benhayoun, felt similar initial hesitation. 鈥淎t first I didn鈥檛 want to do that,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut after reflection, I knew this was going to be a good opportunity to get better at my English and meet new people, new cultures.鈥�

With support from both families, through calls, conversations, and even time spent together abroad, uncertainty gave way to trust. 鈥淲e had a lot of reassurance,鈥� Sara says. 鈥淚t made it easier.鈥�

Eli entered the program with his own concerns, having taken a break from French classes. 鈥淚 was pretty nervous,鈥� he shares. 鈥淏ut once I got there, speaking French became second nature. I used to think in English and translate in my head, but by the third week, it felt natural to just speak.鈥�

That transformation extended beyond language.

鈥淭he whole family was amazing,鈥� Eli says. 鈥淭he mom made incredible French dishes every night, and we spent a lot of time playing board games鈥攅specially French Scrabble鈥攁nd traveling around the country. At school, everyone was so welcoming. Meeting Yoann鈥檚 friends was incredible, and I even learned French slang they don鈥檛 teach in class. When I got stuck, they helped me out with their English.鈥�

For Yoann, the exchange offered that same sense of discovery, this time in the United States. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou get to discover a new culture and language. It鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime experience that shouldn鈥檛 be missed. I wanted to come to the U.S. to experience the culture, meet new friends, and create new memories.鈥�

Designing for Flexibility: The MVSO Advantage

In a school that champions agency and flexibility, the exchange program has evolved to better support students’ academic growth. 鈥淢VSO has been a game changer,鈥� Abe shares.

During their time abroad, students transition into 糖心原创 Online (MVSO) for that mod, allowing them to stay on track while fully engaging in their host culture. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not constantly worrying about missing something back home,鈥� Abe says. 鈥淭hey can actually be present鈥攊mmersed in the language, the culture, and the relationships they鈥檙e building.鈥�

True to 糖心原创鈥檚 commitment to student agency, the exchange program is designed to complement, not compete with, other Upper School experiences. 鈥淲e want students to have options,鈥� Abe says. 鈥淪o we built a model where they don鈥檛 have to choose between experiences; they can layer them.鈥� This flexibility reflects a broader truth: no two 糖心原创 journeys look the same, but each is intentionally designed.

A Transformational Experience

For students like Sara and Hidaya, the impact extends far beyond language acquisition. 鈥淚 just really want to get fluent in French鈥� and advocate for it so more people will do it,鈥� Sara says. The experience is already shaping her future. 鈥淚f I go into international law or journalism, speaking multiple languages will help me make more connections.鈥�

Hidaya is thinking just as globally. 鈥淚 would like to maybe move here later and go to college here鈥� to improve my English more and learn about new cultures.鈥� Both now encourage others to embrace the challenge they once questioned.

鈥淎 lot of people are scared,鈥� Sara says. 鈥淏ut you see what you would have missed out on if you didn鈥檛 go.鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 only five weeks in a lifetime,鈥� Hidaya adds. 鈥淭he memories you keep are forever.鈥�

Eli agrees. 鈥淎bsolutely do it! The biggest thing I heard that was holding my friends back was the idea of hosting another student in their house for five weeks, but honestly, that might be the best part. I get to take Yoann around the city and visit all the best Southern food places around Georgia! Not only that, but the exchange program has taught me so much about building relationships and cross-cultural connections, and given me so many unforgettable memories.鈥�

The post More Than Travel: A Fully Immersive Exchange Experience appeared first on 糖心原创.

What began as a small pilot last year, primarily within Kindergarten, expanded into a Lower School-wide experience. Nearly every Upper School Interim trip was paired with a Lower School grade level, aligning destinations with existing units of study.

The result was a more connected learning experience, one that strengthened relationships across campuses while grounding global travel in meaningful, real-world context.
Rather than layering on something new, Hudgens embedded collaboration into existing curriculum.

鈥淚 started by connecting with Lower School teachers to understand what units they were in during that time, then matched those to Interim trips that would naturally align,鈥� she explained. She started with the driving question: How might we create meaningful connections between Lower School and Upper School students through shared learning experiences based on national and international Interim trips?

The result was intentional, relevant, and often immersive learning:

• Kindergarten + Vietnam, Malta, Costa Rica, Peru (Communities): As students explored how countries are shaped by culture, geography, and values, Interim partnerships brought those differences to life. These experiences informed a culminating project in which each student designed their own country, drawing inspiration from global perspectives.
• Grade 1 + Zanzibar (Space, Light, and Sound): Students examined how light and sound function as tools for communication, comparing how people in Zanzibar and the United States use these elements to share information and connect. While in the country, the Upper School students zoomed with Grade 1 and sang them a traditional Zanzibarian song.
• Grade 2 + New Zealand (Early American History and Exploration): Learners investigated how people connected across distances in the 1700s to 1800s, exploring trade, shipping routes, and the realities of long-distance travel, enriched by insights from students preparing for global exploration.
• Grade 4 + Gal谩pagos Islands (Structures and Functions of Living Things): Students explored how organisms adapt for survival, growth, and reproduction, then generated questions for Upper School travelers studying the Gal谩pagos鈥� unique ecosystems. Those questions are now being answered through student-created presentations following the trip.
• Grade 5 + Italy (Renaissance Studies): Learning came to life as students experienced the Renaissance firsthand, painting 鈥淪istine Chapel-style鈥� while lying beneath their desks, mirroring Michelangelo鈥檚 process and deepening their understanding of art, innovation, and human achievement.

Beginning about six weeks before Interim, Upper School students visited Lower School classrooms multiple times to engage in student-led discovery experiences.

鈥淯pper School students joined Lower School classrooms for discovery lessons that were largely student-led,鈥� Hudgens said. 鈥淏ecause Upper School had already been studying their destinations, Lower School students could ask thoughtful questions, add context, and deepen the learning when curiosity sparked.鈥�

In many cases, the learning extended beyond the trip itself. Fourth graders, for example, not only posed questions to Gal谩pagos travelers, but will also receive answers through presentations delivered in a variety of formats during the Interim showcase.

This kind of learning invites students to ask better questions, make meaningful connections, and engage with authentic audiences beyond their own classroom.

Beyond academics, the impact is personal. For many Lower School students, these interactions made future opportunities feel real and attainable.

鈥淟ower School students were asking, 鈥楢re they really going to these places?鈥� and 鈥榃ill we get to do that one day?鈥欌�� Hudgens shared. 鈥淚t was exciting to tell them that those opportunities are ahead of them in Upper School.鈥�

Drawing from her own experience as a student, Hudgens helped younger learners see what lies ahead.

鈥淚 shared my own experiences, from traveling to Peru to participating in internships and service learning,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are so many different pathways available to students as they grow at 糖心原创.鈥�

In those moments, students begin to see what their own journey might look like as they grow, explore, and take on new challenges.

What began as an idea has quickly become a model for what is possible when a school operates as a connected ecosystem. Cross-campus collaboration expanded the reach and meaning of Interim, creating shared experiences that are both relevant and lasting.

From Kindergarteners designing their own countries to Upper School students presenting research from the Gal谩pagos, learning became more visible, more relational, and more real. Most importantly, students experienced what it means to be part of a connected community, one that grows with them every step of the way.

The post Interim 2026 Expanding Possibilities Across Campuses appeared first on 糖心原创.

The concept of the 鈥淭raveling Classroom鈥� is redefining what Interim can be, transforming it from a single week into a sustained, for-credit learning experience that blends academic depth, empathy, and authentic problem-solving. This year, that evolution came to life through a new Upper School Core experience led by Lynn Luster, Learning Architect for the Upper School, and Catherine Altamirano, Upper School Maker teacher.

From Interim Week to a Traveling Classroom

鈥淭his is our second attempt at offering a credit option connected to Interim,鈥� Luster explained. Last year, 糖心原创 piloted a for-credit curriculum tied to the Gal谩pagos trip, allowing students to opt into elective coursework aligned with their travel experience.

鈥淭hat elective credit gives students flexibility,鈥� Luster said. 鈥淲hether they need more freedom later for internships, global learning, or just want additional choice in senior year, it opens doors.鈥�

This year, while Gal谩pagos returned as a Traveling Classroom option, Luster wanted to bring the same depth and intentional design to students remaining on campus. The result was Housing Atlanta: Industrial Design, a Core experience spanning three academic modules that culminates during Interim.

鈥淚t spans three mods,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat runway allows students to really dig into the work instead of rushing toward a product.鈥�

Designing With Purpose

Housing Atlanta blends industrial design, architecture, and social impact, asking students to engage with Atlanta鈥檚 housing crisis through both head and heart.

鈥淚 always imagine a course as one giant project-based learning experience,鈥� Luster said. 鈥淭he whole thing is the project.鈥�

The experience begins with an intentional entry event, an essential component of 糖心原创鈥檚 project-based learning approach. Early in Mod 2, students visited a tiny house in Kirkwood that Luster co-designed with an architect.

鈥淓ntry events should spark curiosity,鈥� she explained. 鈥淪tudents could immediately imagine themselves in that space.鈥�

But the visit also provided critical context. Standing among newly built homes, students heard stories of gentrification, displacement, and long-time residents priced out of their neighborhoods.
鈥淚 wanted them to understand that this cool architectural trend exists in the middle of real human stories,鈥� Luster said.

Students deepened that understanding through the Traveling Classroom鈥檚 shared reading, , founder of . 鈥淚t challenges assumptions about homelessness,鈥� Luster said. 鈥淥ur students responded with a lot of empathy, and a growing sense of responsibility.鈥�

Cross-Campus Collaboration: Grade 9 Meets Grade 2

One of the most powerful elements of the course occurred across campuses.

Partnering with Constanza Pizano, Lower School Maker teacher, ninth-grade students collaborated with second graders, who served as their design 鈥渃lients.鈥� Second graders shared their interests and favorite book characters, and Upper School students designed personalized reading hideouts just for them.

鈥淥ur students asked the second graders to be the clients,鈥� Altamirano said. 鈥淭hey had to listen carefully, ask good questions, and design based on real needs.鈥�

To prepare, ninth graders developed open-ended interview questions and practiced how to engage younger learners meaningfully. The resulting interactions were striking: life-sized floor plans, immediate feedback, and visible excitement on both sides.

鈥淔or second graders in Ms. King鈥檚 class, this project made abstract ideas like size, proportion, and scale completely tangible,鈥� Pizano said. 鈥淏eing able to physically step into the designs and talk directly with Upper School students helped those concepts really stick.鈥�

Altamirano saw the impact on her students as well. 鈥淲atching their young users sit inside their designs made everything real,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey could immediately see how experience and scale matter.鈥�

鈥淲orking with second graders has been a memorable experience for me. Recently, we conducted an interview with them and printed out blueprints to full scale. I got to see their faces light up, and that was a moment I’ll never forget.鈥� Emma-Neal Medlin, Class of 2029, shared.

Declan Gallagher, Class of 2029, said, 鈥淲orking with second graders was such a different experience because the professionalism I was so used to wasn’t there. When interviewing 2nd graders, all of their answers were creative and were solely for the purpose of entertainment or fun. That sense of creativity is something I miss a little, and I am very glad that I found that feeling again through this project/class.鈥�

From Design to Impact

The learning culminates during Core week, when students will build a full-scale shelter in partnership with , an Atlanta-based nonprofit that has spent more than 25 years creating temporary housing as a form of harm reduction.

鈥淲e鈥檙e working with a professional organization doing real work in the real world,鈥� Luster said. 鈥淎t the end of this, someone will have a place to go at night. That matters.鈥�

Altamirano emphasized the rarity of full-scale building experiences. 鈥淢any architecture students graduate without ever building anything full-size,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his gives our students a real connection between design and reality.鈥�

Students make authentic design decisions鈥攂alancing budget, materials, and insulation鈥攗sing Mad Housers鈥� blueprints as a guide. 鈥淭hose choices become very real when you think about someone sleeping outside,鈥� Altamirano added.

Ace Estenson, Class of 2029, shared, 鈥淭his experience has impacted me by showing me that work can be fun and exciting while still hard. I have learned that hard work pays off and can be fun throughout the process. Homelessness does not only happen to people who don’t work or don鈥檛 care about life. They are just like us. They have emotions and a beating heart. They should be respected just like how we respect one another. They struggle to get off the streets, as many don鈥檛 want to hire a person without a car or a home. Just don鈥檛 think that they aren鈥檛 human, as they don鈥檛 have what we have.鈥�

A Glimpse Into the Future of Interim

For both educators, Housing Atlanta represents the direction 糖心原创 is headed.

鈥淲e鈥檙e moving toward greater depth of inquiry across all pathways,鈥� Altamirano said. 鈥淪ustained time with the course project changes what鈥檚 possible.鈥�

As the Traveling Classroom continues to grow, experiences like this show how Interim can become more than a moment; it can become a meaningful journey.

Students aren鈥檛 just earning elective credit. They鈥檙e learning to listen, design, and build. And they鈥檙e discovering that their learning can make a real difference.

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