The Exploratorium

Beijing Enlighten School

In collaboration with the students, teachers and community members, Beijing Enlighten School (BES) has developed the "Exploratorium". Serving as a fluid space where students can explore their interests and passions through academically sound learning opportunities, the concept for the Exploratorium was developed based on the needs highlighted by the community.

During the constructive process of collecting voices through interviews, students highlighted that they needed a place to explore a range of possibilities at the same time. For example, a dynamic space was needed for students to experience film making and photography, and where teachers could organise events and evidence students' learning. The school also needed a space to use as a conference hall to host meetings with parents and the broader community.

The school’s core values are based on allowing students to become innovators, designers and change-makers while being supported in their social-emotional learning skills. The Exploratorium became a reality by practically applying these values and by giving power to students and community members' ideas to make them a reality.

Since opening in September 2020, BES has viewed the development and growth of the school as an opportunity to ask students and teachers what specific spaces would need to look like and for what purpose. By inviting students to participate in this process, they have shaped how the school is seen from the outside, and have helped develop a brand based on students' views, cementing BES’s reputation as an innovative place where students can meaningfully explore learning as a shared experience.

Learn more here: http://www.enlightenschool.cn/