Brightworks School

Outstanding school that's very forward thinking! If you want your child to learn how to think and achieve all that the world has to offer them then this is one of the best places for them. With such a wonderful brilliant supportive community it's hard not to fall in love with this school. Project based classrooms with teachers who have the time, support and energy to guide children on a one-on-one basis my son has thrived here. On vacations he can't wait to get back to school and I have to drag him away when I go to pick him up. At first I thought that not having a ton of homework my child was not being challenged but if you're up on all the studies, then you'll know that more meaningful homework and projects that your kid not only wants to do but take the initiative on his leaps and bounds above the repetitive "standard" work that gets sent home. Out of convenience we tried a "very good" public school for 6 months in 4th grade after my son had been at Brightworks since Kindergarten. Let's just say we were both in culture shock. My son has been reading for pleasure since he could hold a book and when the new school made it a chore by having him keep a log, I saw the light of joy and inspiration slowly start to fade. That was all I needed to see that we were GOING BACK TO BRIGHTWORKS FOR SURE!

My son has been at Brightworks (BWX) for 5 years and is now 14yrs old. Although BWX is sometimes seen as a "maker-school" the main thing I feel it allows our son to make, is his own education. BWX allows him to have ownership over his learning. It empowers him. He isn`t passive in his learning, he is in charge of it, crafting it. One recent example of this: he is currently working on a group project; they are building a website tool to help people create better habits in their lives. One of the kids who wanted to do the project with them, was unsure if he`d be able to, because his parents had hoped he`d do a project on his own. Our son and one of his teammates wrote an email to their friend`s parents outlining the project, trying to alleviate the parent`s concerns, and listing out exactly what their son would learn from the group project. It was fully from their own initiative. BWX has taught them, if you have a problem (here, they wanted this kid on their team), figure out a way to try and solve it. And in this case, it worked! And now they have this extra motivation, they want the project to do extra well because they`re responsible to themselves, but also to their friend`s parents. it just feels like life skills they are learning.In the Bay area, we sometimes hear anecdotal stories, from friends, about younger workers/interns in the tech industry who have difficulty being self-guided, who need to be told what to do and how. I can`t imagine a BWX kid being described that way.Now that so much knowledge is accessible to us through the internet, it feels like schools need to teach us not facts, but more what we should be doing with all that knowledge. And I believe that`s what BWX does.BWX also has a huge heart. The collaborators care and give so much. Our son calls BWX his second family. He feels safe and secure enough there to be vulnerable, take risks, and aim big. There`s a lot of interaction between students and they are constantly communicating and learning from each other.We love it.

We've been at Brightworks 4 years, starting with K. Our kid is super happy, interested every day, and thriving. We love how engaged he is with his teachers and with the work they do in the school.

I love this school! My daughter has attended Brightworks since Kindergarten and is now a fourth grader. She is excited to go to school every day. Since the curriculum is project-based, she is learning useful skills and how to solve problems on her own. She is developing a "can-do" attitude and often has solutions for problems that come up in our daily lives. There is no homework or tests but when I see 12 year old girls designing and building a real tiny house with sky lights and porch swing or baking cupcakes in their homemade solar oven, that is inspiring! You need to tour this school to see the amazing projects.

We have been thrilled to find Brightworks and I can say with complete confidence that it has changed my son's life. He is so excited to go to school each day, both for the learning and the chance to engage with his peers. Allowing my son to learn in this encouraging environment, with freedom to explore his interests alongside his peers, has reinvigorated his creativity and joy in school. I couldn't recommend Brightworks more highly!