Why pomegranate?
pom kids enjoy 21st century learning
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Self-paced mastery of reading, writing, math
The latest in educational technology allows for self-paced mastery of reading, writing, and math skills in only 3 hours of academic learning per day.
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relevant Real-World Tools and skills
Hands-on project based quests to master the tools and skills needed to solve problems in the real world.
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Effective thinking & communication
Deep Socratic discussions about heroes, history and self-governance to hone critical thinking skills and the ability to powerfully think, write and speak.
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Authentic Relationships
Written promises and covenants that form a tightly bound community of individuals learning to form authentic friendships and honestly resolve interpersonal problems.
Pom kids learn better & fasteR
At Pomegranate, education is revolutionized through the integration of cutting-edge technology. There are no classroom-wide lectures or large group instructions (except during Science, History, and Writing). We replace traditional teaching methods with adaptive game-based programs for core skills (aka academics), allowing each student to follow a customized academic journey, focusing on their strengths and receiving personalized assistance from a Guide whenever necessary. This enables students to grasp concepts at their own pace and accelerate learning in just ~3 hours per day. The rest of the school day is dedicated to developing purpose skills and life skills while pursuing passions, quests, and workshops, fostering a dynamic and engaging learning environment tailored to each student's needs and interests.
pom kids pursue purpose, Growth & Life Skills
At Pomegranate, we recognize the ever-changing nature of the professional world. That's why we devote daily hours to preparing our students for the future of 2040 and beyond. We believe core skills combined with life skills (e.g., communication, critical thinking, financial literacy through Quests and Workshops), growth skills (e.g., grit and perseverance), and purpose skills (e.g., getting to know God, finding belonging in church family, serving in church ministry, pursuing growth in Christ) is the surest path to discovering one's purpose or calling. Our focus is on fostering Growth and Purpose Skills alongside Life Skills.
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Servant leadership badges celebrate character milestones from Elementary through Launchpad.
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Socratic discussions hone critical thinking and speaking abilities, and teach to analyze questions and facts with clarity.
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Relational covenants and real-world consequences transform difficult decisions into virtuous habits.
Learn2Be: Purpose skills
Practice heroic traits while searching for a calling, such as:
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Diagnose patients in the Medical Biology Quest
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Deliver a speech in the shoes of Winston Churchill
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Design a floorplan for a new Pomegranate Schoolhouse site in the Architecture Quest.
learn2Do: Life Skills
Conquer real-world challenges that matter to students, such as:
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Curiosity to dig into new subjects and compelling questions.
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Perseverance through “stuck spots” in self-paced math.
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Resourcefulness to find tools, mentors, and peers that help you learn best.
learn2LEARN: GROWTH Skills
Develop resolute habits of lifelong learners, such as:
If learning to Do (Life Skills), learning to Be (Purpose Skills), and learning to Learn (Growth Skills) challenges are accepted, students will absorb amazing amounts of learning to Know (Academic Skills) — but in context, and in a way they can use and won’t soon forget.
Pom kids are learning in mixed-age studios
Pomegranate students are learning in mixed-age studios, not single grade levels based on age. They typically spend around four years within a given studio. In the Elementary Studio for ages 6-10, students focus on accomplishing important work and learning to play well with others. They are independent learners who find great joy in learning, in a tight-knit community that upholds the highest standards of excellence. Imagine a learning environment resembling a tech startup's home rather than a typical school. Traditional desks and assigned seats are no more. Children are learning in areas that suit them best: whether it's in a quiet globe chair by themselves, outdoors on the grass, or with buddies at communal workstations throughout the schoolhouse. Our learning environment empowers children with the autonomy to discover where they can concentrate and learn most effectively.
We redefine the notion of the traditional grade level system by implementing mixed-age studios. Our philosophy emphasizes personalized learning and encourages students to progress at their own pace, with students organized into approximately four-year age bands instead of rigid grade classifications. This structure encourages collaboration among peers of similar ages, creating a supportive environment on their learning journey.
pom kids hold each other accountable
Students hold themselves and each other as accountable as anybody in a high-performing organization or company.
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Goal setting measures progress through daily, weekly, and longer-term goals
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Servant Leader Badges celebrate transformation into an independent learner and a purposeful leader.
Accountability to self
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Badges are used to track academic progress in Core Skills like reading, writing, math, and spelling and character development as well as showcase other excellent work or mastery of useful skills.
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Points track effort doing focused work.
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360 Reviews measure self-management and self-governance skills as well as leadership and warm-hearted and tough-minded contributions to the studio.
Accountability in the studio
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Public exhibitions at the end of each quest (every ~5-8 weeks) allow students to subject their work to a real-world test in front of family, friends, and customers.
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e-Portfolios show personal growth and prove what a student can do. The students make their own webpages and track all of their core skills and major projects on their own webpages. For example, they may post their book report in a written form or via a recorded podcasts and their science experiments recorded and posted as a video.
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Competitions outside the studio allow students to compete against world-class projects.
accountability to the World
pom kids pursue mastery, not grades
Joy + Rigor = Mastery
Embracing rigor is part of saying 'yes' to a Hero's Journey. Deep learning brings a special sense of joy, but the mastery required for a Hero's Journey goes even further, requiring commitment, discipline, and hard work toward a worthy goal.
MEASUREMENT TOOLS
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Documents progress in goal setting, points, badges, Quest deliverables, Hero Bucks, 360 Reviews
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Provide feedback and analytics for Core Skills mastery to Guides and parents.
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Benchmark progress year to year in math, reading, writing, and critical thinking via IOWA Assessments.
Each studio is equipped with a level-specific Badge Map. These Badges are aligned with our Core Skills curriculum, hands-on workshops, and real-world quests. Throughout the year, students work towards earning all the Badges on their unique Badge Map. Once a student has achieved all the required Badges, which is equivalent to mastery, they advance to the next level until they successfully complete their Badge Map.
pom kids build small businesses every year
Every year, children build small businesses from the ground-up.
Watch the video to learn about the business fair.