The elements of the Forge Program include:
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An Integrated Academic Program;
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A Community-Driven Residential Program;
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A Year-long 9th Grade Seminar (team taught with upperclassmen teaching assistants);
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Outdoor Experiences; and
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Development of Design Thinking Strategies and Skills.
Curriculum is designed to engage students to think critically, solve real-world problems and effectively communicate their solutions. Through project-based learning, students collaborate in asking questions, debating ideas, and collecting data. This engaging and rigorous academic program is designed to stimulate intellectual curiosity, promote active learning, and instill long-lasting study skills that serve as an academic foundation upon which students build throughout their Tilton Experience.
In the fourth quarter of the academic year, students will apply the skills they’ve learned throughout the year to a design-thinking, community service-based project. Topics include Housing Instability, Hunger Awareness, Addiction, and Veterans’ Issues. Students may also explore a different topic of their choosing.
Through the development of their Personalized Guided Program of Study, 9th grade students will also work with their advisor and
college counseling staff to establish a strong working relationship that will be used throughout their time at Tilton School. This will include creating a strategic plan for course selection and guidance about purposeful involvement beyond the classroom.