All people can and want to learn. We believe experiential learning is a powerful method for developing the curiosity, skills, knowledge, and courage needed to imagine a better world and work toward realizing it. Learning is an expedition into the unknown. Expeditions draw together personal experience and intellectual growth to promote self-discovery and construct knowledge. We believe that adults should guide students along this journey with care, compassion, and respect for their diverse learning styles, backgrounds, and needs. Metropolitan Learning Center is an educational option designed to promote strong academic and character standards.
The Metropolitan Learning Center (MLC) is a well established, long-term (35+ years) alternative program, rich with tradition yet continually adapting to meet the changing needs of it students and their families.
MLC offers a unique academic program focused on experiential learning, character development, service to its community and the pleasures of life and learning. Students who thrive in this project and adventure based learning environment have the opportunity to attend from kindergarten through high school. Those who do are joined by others transferring in from other schools, programs and districts. All students and their families choose to attend MLC.
The kindergarten program prepares students for school through developmental reading, math and social skills activities and in-depth subject studies.
Elementary students spend their day in core academic subjects and some afternoon time exploring areas of special interest in a wide-range of student choice elective classes.
Middle grade students work with specialists in language arts, math, science and social studies and participate in weekly adventure and service activities as well as the elective program.
High school students build their own schedules. In addition to the full range of courses offered at MLC, schedules can include co-op classes at other schools, independent studies, work experience and credit work at art institutes, colleges and universities.
At all grades, the program is personal and personalized in keeping with the character of a smaller learning environment. Instruction has an experiential influence progress reports are ungraded, conferences are frequent and all students annually compile and present a portfolio of their learning.