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Our Approach to Social Entrepreneurship Education

Every student understands they are a unique and powerful person with the agency to determine what difference they will make in the world. They will gain the confidence and skills to not only answer but also act upon our two guiding questions:"What matters to you?" and "What are you doing about it?"

 

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

We integrate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our curriculum to inspire students of all ages to think globally and act locally. By exploring all 17 goals, ranging from quality education and gender equality to climate action and clean energy, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the interconnected challenges facing our world. Through hands-on projects, discussions, and real-world applications, we empower learners to connect these global goals to their own communities, fostering a sense of responsibility and agency to drive meaningful change. This approach ensures that every student sees themselves as an active participant in building a more equitable and sustainable future. 

Reaching Beyond

Helping students reach beyond themselves to make a difference in the world—this idea is at the core of everything we do at Hillbrook School. We offer "Reach Beyond" programming to students of all ages. In the Lower School, we host Reach Beyond Day in the Spring to showcase how our JK-4 students have been learning about social entrepreneurship and making a difference throughout the year. In the Middle School, we help facilitate Reach Beyond Block on a weekly basis. An increased focus on the 6 Lenses of Social Entrepreneurship and UN SDGs allows for creative and meaningful interdisciplinary learning paired with regular field studies off-campus. In the spring, Middle School students spend Reach Beyond Week outside the classroom and immersed in communities to engage in hands-on social impact work. In 2025, students will be exploring parts of the Bay Area, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, the East Coast, Hawaii, Ecuador, and China!

Immersives & Experiential Learning

The Hillbrook Experiential Learning (HEx) Block embodies our vision: to inspire all learners to see the world as it is, imagine what it might be, and partner with communities to create lasting impact for people and the planet. Built into the weekly Upper School schedule every Wednesday afternoon, this 2.5-hour block immerses students in hands-on social entrepreneurship education, guided by social entrepreneurship principles. Using UNRULR for documentation and reflection, students develop metacognitive skills while tackling real-world challenges through the lenses of the UN SDGs and our six lenses of social entrepreneurship. From action research projects and nonprofit partnerships to capstone experiences and city-wide impact challenges, the HEx Block empowers students to engage deeply with their communities, explore their passions, and cultivate the skills and mindsets necessary to make a difference. Together, we truly use the city as a classroom and community as curriculum come to life, transforming students into changemakers in action.