Recognition

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Franklin School is a forward-thinking high school in the heart of Jersey City, New Jersey, USA,
where students have the freedom to chart their own educational journey. Our approach
combines innovative learning methodologies with personalized experiences, supported by a rich
legacy of educational excellence and global partnerships. Our history reflects a commitment to
educational innovation dating back to 1872, when our forefather school was established in New
York City. Originally dedicated to personalizing learning and preparing graduates for prestigious
colleges, the school adopted the name Franklin in the early 20th century and later changed to
the Dwight School. Today, as a new incarnation of the Franklin School, we are proudly affiliated
with the global network of Dwight Schools, offering our students international connections and
perspectives.

Franklin's mission is to broaden access to world-class private education, developing students
into innovators and socially responsible global leaders. Our vision transforms the traditional
educational experience through an innovative model that empowers students to pursue their
passions, develop real-world readiness, and take agency over their futures. We aim to be both
an academic haven for young innovators and a launchpad for tomorrow's leaders.

Our innovative educational approach is built around several key components:

● Applied and experiential learning philosophies that promote critical thinking, problem-solving,
empathy, and collaboration
● Transdisciplinary learning opportunities that break down traditional subject silos
● Student agency that empowers learners to determine their own educational paths
● Micro-courses and electives that enable students to explore potential career interests
● Technology and design integration, including our state-of-the-art Fab Lab and core design
curriculum
● A skills curriculum that equips students with tools to tackle complex global challenges
● Capstone projects designed to highlight and explore students’ personal interest areas
● Comprehensive academic care system to ensure each student thrives academically and
emotionally
● Community engagement through partnerships with local organizations
● Global engagement opportunities that foster exploration and multicultural connections
● Public speaking training for all students through a highly respected corporate training program
● Exploring the use of AI agents to help with personalized learning and administrative tasks.
(Ben Sparkz , NarrativeGPT)

Through this holistic approach, Franklin School prepares students to thrive in an ever-changing
world, developing the knowledge, skills, and mindsets needed to become thoughtful innovators
and impactful leaders.

Franklin School's innovation journey began with a vision to reimagine education for the 21st
century. After conducting a comprehensive audit of promising practices, we established three
foundational pillars: technology and design integration, student-centered learning, and
community collaboration.

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Design and Technology Integration

At Franklin, technology and design serve as tools for exploration and empathy. Students learn to
code, fabricate prototypes, design robots, and train machine learning models, fostering what
one learner calls a "passion for design I never knew I had." Supported by our state-of-the-art
Fab Lab, students learn how to take the perspective of others, identify and define problems, and
iterate and improve solutions as they practice collaboration and project management skills.

Panorama of the Fab Lab

As part of our introductory ninth-grade Digital Design and Fabrication class, students participate
in the annual Make:able Challenge, partnering with elderly or disabled clients to create practical
solutions for everyday challenges. Recent projects include a wheelchair-securing clamp for a
weightlifting client with a spinal cord injury and a specialized pot holder for someone with
osteoarthritis.

Students sharing some of their Make:able projects

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Students in Creative Applications of AI have trained AI models to translate sign language into
English as well as identify “WALK” vs “DON’T WALK” street-crossing signs for the visually
impaired. Accessibility projects like these demonstrate how emerging technologies can benefit
diverse communities.

Student demonstrating sign language interpretation AI model

The Fab Lab tools and materials, as well as the design teachers, are available for students
outside of class hours so that they can work on personal passion projects, like gifts for friends,
furniture for the school, a drone controlled by a glove, or a remote-controlled robot dog.

Student documentation of building a glove controlled drone

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Student project: Longboard converted to motorized with electric power

Student project: Little free library

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Student-Centered Learning

The Creative Learning Studio is a year-long elective rooted in constructionist pedagogy, where
students pursue personally meaningful projects—ranging from furniture design and music
production to robotics and social entrepreneurship—through a dynamic process guided by
passion, projects, peers, and play.

Students flourish when pursuing their passions in a supportive environment. "My favorite thing is
the encouragement—you feel more comfortable in your own skin," explains one student.
Through a diversity of electives like Psychology and Artificial Intelligence, and micro-courses
such as Franklin Student Ventures, learners gain real-world exposure while forging their own
paths. As another student notes, "They do a great job helping us find our path."

This autonomy cultivates resilience and self-confidence, culminating in each student's Franklin
Capstone Project—final projects that integrate learning across disciplines, from investigating
local food systems to designing eco-friendly urban prototypes.

Student project: designing and building table and stools

To develop agile thinkers, the Franklin Skills Curriculum offers units in Systems Thinking,
Futures Thinking, and Complex Adaptive Systems. Students learn to identify leverage points
and address root causes rather than symptoms. One faculty member highlights that "the school
encourages transdisciplinary projects between departments. We have built-in time to
collaborate."

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Finished student furniture project: table and stools

Community Collaboration

Franklin Student Ventures exemplifies our focus on meaningful community engagement. "I feel
like you can go to any teacher and they'll help you launch your idea," says one participant. In
these trimester-based courses, budding entrepreneurs create social-impact projects, including
DoGooders , a platform connecting teenagers with nonprofit volunteer opportunities, and STEM
Sprouts Academy , a mobile engineering workshop for younger students at neighboring schools.

STEM Sprouts engineering workshop at a local primary school

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Our annual Sparkathon, a 48-hour global hackathon, unites learners across the Dwight network.
Recent winning projects by Franklin teams include a "reverse-vending" machine incentivizing
beach cleanups and an AI model detecting irregular heartbeats by sound.

Video about 2024 Sparkathon Video about 2023 Sparkathon

Beyond our campus, Franklin serves as the leading North American node of the Fab Learning
Academy , offering teacher professional development for our own teachers as well as educators
from other community schools in advanced fabrication and constructionist methods
co-developed with MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms.

Community teachers participating in a microcontroller workshop

Participants in our node include both Franklin faculty and teachers from various schools
throughout the community. "We're constantly bumping into each other and collaborating," says a
department lead, illustrating how we share expertise to amplify impact.

Franklin’s Professional Learning Program is designed to give teachers time to dedicate to their
own learning and professional growth each week. Every teacher has two periods a week built

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into their schedule to dedicate to professional learning. As a way of focusing that learning, at the
start of the year, teachers choose a Professional Learning Pathway (the Pathways for ‘24-’25
were Differentiation, Critical Thinking, and Assessment and Feedback). Over the course of the
week, teachers meet once with other teachers in their pathway as they work through their own
independent learning and research.

Impact and Achievement of Goals

Students consistently affirm our approach: "There's a strong sense of community here, and
opportunities most high schools don't have." Faculty echo this sentiment, noting that "new
faculty feel incredibly welcome" and emphasizing that "we are proactive instead of reactive."

By integrating technology and human-centered design with student choice and community
partnerships, Franklin has achieved measurable outcomes:

- Real-World Problem-Solving: Projects like Make:able deliver tangible improvements for
clients while building empathy and adaptability in students.
- Growing Entrepreneurial Mindsets: Ventures like DoGooders and STEM Sprouts show
how practical social enterprises can spark civic engagement.
- Fostering a Supportive Culture: “It feels like you have a relationship,” a sophomore
explains, “You’re not scared to ask questions.” This openness nurtures both academic
success and emotional well-being.
- Sustaining Educator Enthusiasm: Teachers express gratitude for the autonomy and
cross-departmental collaborations that let them push boundaries.
- Promoting Global Readiness: Through Sparkathon events and Fab Learning Academy,
students and teachers learn to collaborate across continents, cultivating a global outlook.

In the words of one parent volunteer, “Franklin has the opportunity to keep building.” Our vision
is exactly that: to keep refining programs, expand partnerships, and deepen every learner’s
sense of purpose and possibility. Whether a student’s passion is robotics, literature, or art, as
another teacher says, “Franklin School is not a great STEM school; it’s a great school if you
want to study STEM. And it’s a great school if you want to study literature or art.” By nurturing
creativity, adaptability, and empathy, Franklin prepares young people to meet the challenges of
tomorrow with confidence and compassion. “At Franklin,” exclaimed a student, “we find and live
our passion.”

* All quotes were gathered by the Accreditation Team from the Middle States Association.

Franklin School’s transformative impact is evident in both measurable outcomes and personal
growth among students. Over the past three years, enrollment has doubled annually, reflecting
strong family confidence in our forward-thinking model. Students have won the global
Sparkathon innovation challenge twice in a row, and their projects extend well beyond
competitions.

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Our broader community engagement amplifies this impact. Two students, accompanied by our
Director of Curriculum, were selected as Villars Fellows in Switzerland, where they explored
cutting-edge applications of Systems Thinking. Another student joined the Villars Intensive
Program on Ecopreneurship, honing strategies to address environmental challenges. Beyond
that, Franklin learners have been awarded scholarships to The Knowledge Society (TKS),
immersing themselves in high-level innovation programs that broaden their horizons.

In the words of one enthusiastic student, “Any time I get the chance to advocate for Franklin, I’ll
do it!” That passion also resonates with teachers, who describe the “leadership opportunities we
never thought we’d have.” Ultimately, we gauge success not just by accolades but by the
curiosity, empathy, and civic engagement students bring to every endeavor. As another student
observed, “Transdisciplinary thinking makes us question everything,” capturing the mindset that
drives Franklin’s culture of invention and social responsibility.

Links referenced in the PDF

• https://ben.devsparkspace.com/
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E5e2yqw6xSspBEvtX6YwpURK-I9FZDtl/view?usp=sharing
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qvqz8nHsvc8Vh29oNJ2lF1zUkrfFDnft/view?usp=drive_link
• https://fla.academany.org/2024/labs/franklin/students/lauren-kartzman/about/
• https://fla.academany.org/2024/labs/franklin/students/sarah-judd/
• https://fla.academany.org/program/node_list_2024.html
• https://franklin-narrative-helper-v3-1776c8028138.herokuapp.com/
• https://t4.education/blog/how-franklin-school-became-a-platinum-certified-best-school-to-work-after-building-a-great-school-culture/
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/global-connections
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/fabrication-certification-for-educators-at-franklins-fab-lab
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-student-participates-in-dwight-schools-spark-tank-10th-anniversary
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-student-takes-journalism-skills-beyond-the-classroom
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-students-attend-the-global-systems-thinking-symposium-in-switzerland
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/franklin-wins-sparkathon-2024
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/jaymes-dec-director-of-innovation-shares-his-journey-to-founding-franklins-makerspace
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/nj1015-features-franklins-dogooders
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/our-design-expo-attracts-local-area-students-to-take-on-innovative-challenges
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/second-annual-showcase
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/news/franklin-stories/~board/of-interest-homepage-news/post/start-with-service
• https://www.franklinjc.org/about/past-present-and-future
• https://www.franklinjc.org/academics
• https://www.franklinjc.org/academics/academic-support
• https://www.franklinjc.org/academics/franklin-capstone-project
• https://www.franklinjc.org/academics/micro-courses-and-electives
• https://www.franklinjc.org/academics/public-speaking-program
• https://www.franklinjc.org/academics/skills-curriculum
• https://www.franklinjc.org/academics/technology-innovation
• https://www.instagram.com/p/C59JX7Uugh-
• https://www.makeablechallenge.com/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=FjvzuSzcPd4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udf68K65pyY
• https://youtu.be/fs8P4V7zm3s?si=FBYtiJZElsoJOzMb
• https://youtu.be/xS_8grZcDiA?si=4l6_2Z0-NccOoNIR