With New York City as our classroom and laboratory, CITYterm at The Masters School brings together seven residential faculty and thirty intellectually adventuresome juniors and seniors in high school for a semester of intensive, experience-based learning. CITYterm challenges its students to think, question, speak up and grow. Together in a close-knit community of students and teachers, CITYterm explores, wonders, watches, and learns on the streets of New York City. Students spend every other day linking their classroom work to the endless array of opportunities available in the greatest city in the world.

At CITYterm we believe that the most profound learning takes place when it is rooted in experience. Our students recognize that learning can happen on any city block, and that the best instruction does not culminate in an exam but with a seminar featuring a novelist or a poet, a meeting with an architectural historian, a dinner with a homeless person, an afternoon giving a neighborhood walking tour, or a night at the theater. The academic projects built around these experiences push students to develop a wide range of skills from reading and writing to active inquiry, critical thinking and team leadership. The collaborative environment encourages students to embrace dialogue, listen, question, and try out their ideas.

This week, students are in the midst of learning about the Brooklyn Bridge. They have explored the Bridge from multiple perspectives – through art, music, poetry, and math – to add to their understanding of the structure. Students will culminate this unit with an exhibit showcasing creative responses that expresses their understanding of the Bridge. It is through projects like this one that we encourage exploration and spark creativity throughout the semester!

www.cityterm.org