Educational Futurism

If the purpose of education is to prepare children for the future, then models from the past are woefully insufficient. That’s why Principia’s integrated, real-world approach amounts to an educational futurism.

Grounded in Mary Kimball Morgan’s whole-person approach, with a healthy emphasis on experiential learning, Principia has long been recognized as a forward-looking school. But in recent years, Dry and her counterparts at all School levels have been trading in static rows of desks for more flexible and dynamic learning environments. 

Skills-based and scenario-based, with character as its cornerstone, education at Principia today is active, collaborative, and multidisciplinary. Students learn on the go, in groups, and out loud. Silos are nowhere to be found. Middle schoolers demonstrate science through a final art project; lower schoolers blend biology, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and language arts while producing and selling homegrown honey through beekeepers’ veils.

“Research shows that students learn best when they are active,” says Lower School Principal Heather Tibbetts. “When they’re sitting at a desk, in student mode, they’re passive—they’re much more likely to zone out.” 

Today at Principia, students are more likely to learn through collaboration or independent trial and error than by listening to a lecture. Why? Because research shows this is precisely how students learn best. 

Tibbetts goes on to explain how a more active learning disposition has long-term implications. “We were noticing that students were relying too much on asking teachers a question and then copying their answer,” she says. “That makes students who are good at copying—mimicking how someone else would solve something. But are they good thinkers? That’s really what we’re after.”

Thinking Classrooms

“Form follows function,” says Dry. “We need the room to support the education we’re trying to create, and that education is breaking down silos.” 

It’s not hard to envision the traditional educational model composed in vertical stacks, like columns in a spreadsheet: math, writing, social studies, biology, etc. It’s an inorganic structure that doesn’t translate into any real-world milieu. A CPA needs to communicate, collaborate, and present her work. A coder relies on research and critical thinking skills to translate an assignment. A chef is collaborating, communicating, and calculating—all while creating complex chemical reactions.

Dry elaborates, “We don’t want to think about education in terms of subjects. We want to think about education in terms of learning and experience. So we created spaces where learning can be flexible.”

“We’ve been studying the concept of ‘thinking classrooms,’” adds Tibbetts. “So many schools are still so traditional and siloed, but at Principia—whether it’s Connected Learning in Lower School, Integrated Studies in Middle School, or CoLab in Upper School—our programs are focused on collaboration. We’re pulling that thread through all our classes.”

Flexible learning requires flexible spaces, and the School’s new classrooms are easily and infinitely reconfigurable, featuring removable and expandable walls, convertible seating, smart writing surfaces, and more. The alignment between curriculum and learning space is key throughout all levels of the School.

In Middle School, “Our learning spaces are designed to dissolve boundaries between disciplines,” Integrated Studies teacher Mark Russo says, “allowing students to move seamlessly from hands-on exploration to collaborative problem-solving in ways that make real-world connections come alive. These reimagined classrooms and collaboration areas not only foster integrated, experiential learning for students but also empower faculty to co-design dynamic, future-ready learning experiences together.”

And in Lower School, Teacher
Leader Rissa (Harlow) Arens (US’91, C’95) says “the flexible indoor and outdoor learning spaces, combined with an integrated curriculum, enable teachers to create hands-on experiences, sparking curiosity and deepening critical thinking.” Arens adds, “These environments help students make authentic connections across subjects and experience learning as an interconnected journey.”

“The future of education,” says Dry, “is flexibility and adaptability.”

Where Learning and Community Unfold

With the first phase of the multi-year Upper School renovation now complete and a semester of student use in the books, the proof is in the pudding. Alicia Sorensen, who teaches a multidisciplinary Upper School CoLab class, described the difference. “The new space has been transformative in the way it supports flexible and collaborative learning. I love how its design gives both teachers and students the freedom to shape the environment to fit our goals. Features like standing desks and movable furniture make it easy to shift from group collaboration to individual reflection, helping us create dynamic, student-centered learning experiences. This flexibility truly embodies future-forward learning by encouraging adaptability, creativity, and engagement.”

But the best—and the biggest—is yet to come. “Plans are being finalized for the final 50,000 square feet of the Upper School,” says Capital Projects Manager Harry Locke. “The design outlines a comprehensive renovation of both the lower and upper levels, including new classrooms, academic support spaces, and improved circulation throughout the building. The project modernizes building systems, upgrades life-safety and accessibility, and introduces a dedicated storm shelter, all while tying the renovated areas together with a consistent interior design standard established in earlier phases.” 

Beyond the renovation work, the plans include a major new addition to the existing Upper School courtyard space—a three-story Student Commons which will serve as a centralized community space and be a focus point of the campus.

“The Student Commons will be a centerpiece of the A-Wing renovations, a vibrant hub where students gather, collaborate, and learn together,” says Grigsby. “It will feature seamless flow with a catwalk linking upper levels, smart and sustainable design that integrates technology and environmental responsibility, and spaces that foster interdisciplinary learning and student life.”  

From 30,000 feet, Grigsby sees the renovations as student-focused and holistic. “We are equally committed to the spaces where learning and community life unfold, and our capital projects are designed with a clear purpose to support student success, replace aging spaces, stay competitive, and build for the future.”

The project has captured the support and imagination of long-time Principians. Chris Towle (US’86) is an alum and parent of three Principia graduates—and part of a four-generation Principia legacy dating back to the School’s earliest days under founder Mary Kimball Morgan. “I am so impressed with the vision and dedication of the leadership team,” he says. “The Towle Family Foundation is delighted to support the evolution that will ensure Principia remains at the forefront of character education for decades to come.” It’s a collective effort that invites all to join.

“I’ve been so grateful that Principia has seen the value of future-ready education,” Dry adds, “being so adaptable and so flexible, and creating a space that can do that.”