#INQUIRYFORALL

At New School SF, we believe in #INQUIRYFORALL -- all children should go to a school where they can drive their learning, ask big questions and take risks. Inquiry and equity are at the heart of how our students learn and grow and we see the positive impact it has on our diverse group of learners every day. We want to make this inquiry-based experience available to more children, and we ask for your support.  JOIN US BY DONATING TODAY.

MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF INQUIRY:

"To the degree that deeper learning remains unavailable to students of color and children of low-income families, America will never be able to solve its equity dilemma. The evidence is clear: students will only acquire the skills to be truly college and career ready if they have access to a higher-level curriculum.”  - Jobs for the Future report

 Over the past 25 years, the opportunity gap between high- and low-income students has increased by 30-40 percent. Today, young adults make up 40% of the unemployed in the U.S. and 51% of college graduates report being underemployed. And the numbers are getting worse each year.

Edutopia reported that students are entering a job market that values skills much different than those taught to and ably served by their parents and grandparents. Young adults today must think critically, problem solve, be resourceful, innovate, collaborate -- all while responding to evolving technologies and global conditions. 

A growing body of research points to inquiry-based learning as a way to develop these skills.

Inquiry-based learning means students get curious, ask questions and take charge in answering those questions. This kind of curriculum motivates them to learn more, learn deeply, and drive their learning -- a skill necessary to succeed in college and at work. 

Students who attend deeper learning schools graduate in four years at rates that are about 8 percentage points higher than those of their peers; inquiry is one great way to teach deeper learning skills. Research by non-profit, Jobs for the Future notes: "Inquiry-based pedagogy and group learning prepare students for college, career, and life by promoting transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication." 

But outside innovative private schools, this curriculum is hard to find because it requires highly skilled teachers and many resources. As a result, most students – particularly minorities, those with lower socioeconomic status or special needs – are at a greater disadvantage.