Teacher/Family Partnership: Da Vinci Connect was designed to serve homeschooling and “flexible schooling” families seeking a progressive and alternative school model. DV Connect offers TK through 8th grade families a unique learning model that combines homeschool and on-campus instruction using project-based and social emotional learning. Students spend 2 days per week of project-based learning on campus and 3 days per week learning remotely. Families facilitate their child’s learning on non-classroom days. We partner with families to support the process by providing:

  • Rich, challenging and engaging content that accommodates diverse learning styles  
  • Ongoing Parent Educator Workshops on a variety of topics
  • Opportunities for differentiated instruction within the school setting and during family-facilitated learning

Project-Based Learning (PBL): Da Vinci Connect believes in engaging students with a learn-by-doing model that integrates core subjects with real-life problem-solving and inquiry-based learning. An aspect of PBL includes opportunities for students to “show what they know” in the following ways: Presentations of Learning (POLs), Exhibitions, and Student Led Conferences (SLCs). Teachers collaborate with students on projects and also encourage and support families to use PBL during homeschool learning. PBL is engaging and powerful because it allows for:  

  • Hands-on, minds-on curriculum  
  • Student voice and choice
  • Collaboration
  • Public Presentations of Learning (POLs, Exhibition, SLCs)
  • Mastery of “learning goals” (Common Core standards)
  • 21st Century Learning and Real-World Problem-Solving
  • Opportunities for personalization (to reflect students’ passions, interests, and needs)

Social-Emotional Learning: Social-Emotional Learning is integral to the culture of DV Connect, and is woven into the daily workings of our programs and involves all members of our community. We use strategies to teach and model core concepts such as empathy, self-efficacy, flexibility, self-awareness, risk-taking, agency, positive conflict resolution, and collaboration.

The goals of these tenets are to:

  • Raise the level of social and emotional competence in all children  
  • Improve academic performance through a safe environment for all learners
  • Create a compassionate, socially responsible, and collaborative learning community

We accomplish this by:  

  • Building and maintaining positive relationships between students, families, and staff
  • Integrating Compassionate Communication strategies
  • Teaching and modeling Habits of Heart and Mind and a growth mindset
  • Intentional conflict resolution
  • Designing multi-age classes and experiences