Benchmark Quest
Benchmark Quest is a learning experience using design thinking to address a real-world, personally meaningful problem. Students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.
Annual Benchmark Quests
In Benchmark Quest, students step into the role of innovator, transforming curiosity into impact through meaningful, real-world problem-solving. Complex challenges become invitations to explore, and students’ unique perspectives shape solutions.
Through extended investigations that weave together science, history, math, the arts, and technology, students engage with authentic questions that demand creative thinking and collaborative spirit. They design with empathy, build with purpose, test with resilience, and iterate with growing confidence.
Beginning in the latter half of Lower School and deepening throughout Middle School, Quest honors each student's journey toward agency and independence. With scaffolded support that evolves as they grow, students master the essential skills of critical thinking, creative problem-solving, collaboration, and communication—the 4C's that empower them as changemakers.Year after year, Quest builds more than projects. It builds capable, confident innovators ready to tackle the challenges that matter most to them and to our world.
OceanQuest
In OceanQuest, our Intermediate Level students dive into one of Earth's most vital and inspiring ecosystems and discover how oceans sustain life, regulate our climate, and shelter extraordinary biodiversity.
Through integrated exploration across all subjects, students investigate the delicate balance of ocean ecosystems and the impact of human choices on marine environments. They investigate adaptations of ocean creatures and uncover the interconnected systems that allow our planet to thrive.
Students channel their learning into action, designing artworks—such as creatures or ocean environments crafted from recycled plastic and other materials—that capture the ocean's beauty while championing its protection. The students’ creations are both a celebration and a call to action, transforming scientific knowledge into creative works that highlight their discoveries.
OceanQuest culminates in a showcase event where students share their innovations with families and community members, standing both as artists and environmental stewards.
MoonQuest
In MoonQuest, our older Lower School students venture beyond Earth's boundaries to tackle an enormous challenge: designing a sustainable colony on the Moon.
Inspired by NASA's vision for lunar exploration, students investigate the unique demands of the Moon environment—from gravity and atmosphere to water systems and energy sources. Through integrated learning across science, innovation, and technology, they build foundational knowledge about Earth's nearest neighbor and transform that understanding into bold, creative solutions.
Students grapple with real constraints as they design self-sustaining greenhouses, engineer life-support systems, and prototype structures for lunar living. Each design challenge invites them to think critically, problem-solve, and imagine what's possible.
MoonQuest culminates in a showcase event where students present their experiments and design projects to families and community members, sharing the innovative solutions they've developed for life beyond Earth.
6th Grade Quest: Identity Flying Machines
In this transformative project, 6th graders design and build kites that soar as self-representations, visual celebrations of who they are and who they are becoming.
Melding art, engineering, and self-reflection, students design and create flying machines that express their values, strengths, and hopes. Each kite is a unique reflection of identity and possibility.
Through the challenge of construction and the physics of flight, students explore what it means to lift themselves up, to embrace growth, take risks, and rise toward their potential. The process is a journey of reflection and confidence-building.
The project culminates in Lift Off: A Festival of Becoming—a joyful community celebration where students launch their kites into the sky and share their promises for the future. Against the backdrop of colorful kites, students mark this important milestone with intention, pride, and the exhilaration of knowing they are ready to soar.
7th Grade Quest: Community Arcade
In this community-focused, collaborative project, 7th graders design and build arcade games that do more than entertain: they bring people together.
Inspired by Caine's Arcade, teams work with cardboard and simple materials to create playful, accessible games while considering deeper questions: What makes a community thrive? How do we design experiences that welcome everyone? How can creativity become a catalyst for connection?
Through iterative design and hands-on construction, students discover that building community requires the same skills as building games—collaboration, empathy, problem-solving, and a commitment to inclusion. Each game is both an invention and an invitation, designed to spark joy and foster belonging.
When complete, the arcade transforms into an interactive community space where students, families, and visitors gather to play, connect, and celebrate what happens when creativity meets purpose. Shared play becomes a shared experience, and students see firsthand how their innovations can bring inclusion to our community.
8th Grade Quest: Value Vehicles
In this capstone discovery challenge, 8th graders design cars that race with purpose—vehicles that embody identity, values, and connection to community.
Drawing on their cumulative years of design thinking and project-based learning, students create cars that tell stories and spark meaningful conversations. Each design becomes a reflection of what matters most: personal beliefs, cultural heritage, community bonds, or causes worth championing. Speed matters, but so does meaning.
Alongside their vehicles, students craft Design Statements that share their inspiration and connect creativity and empathy. This is design with intention where technical skill meets reflection, and competition becomes spirited celebration.
The project culminates in a community showcase where families, friends, and teachers gather to celebrate creativity, recognize exceptional designs, and support causes that resonate. As vehicles cross the finish line, students show that the most powerful innovations are those that move us forward, both literally and purposefully.