Springs’ High School Learning Labs offered Homeschool students the opportunity to “embody the Springs Way of moving from passive learning to active doing,” shared Sherri Kemp, Homeschool Director of High School Learning Labs, this year collaborating with a variety of “epic” project-based learning lessons.
Living Earth students “got hands-on” with Genes and Heredity by engineering genetic spiders. By decoding DNA traits, students saw firsthand how dominant and recessive genes determine whether their eight-legged creations ended up with neon fangs or extra-fuzzy legs, and they got to compare and contrast their creations with their group’s.
In English Language Arts classes, writing was a team sport. Students collaborated on writing projects, “bouncing ideas off one another to build complex pieces.”
Algebra students got the answer to “When will I actually use this?” as their teacher showed them how to apply algebraic equations and the understanding of slopes and variables to stock market trends and fluctuations. “It’s not just math,” Sherri noted, “it’s a real-life application to building future wealth.”
Students in Journey’s Classical Program at Pathfinder “stepped into a time machine” spending the day immersed in a historical simulation, presenting to community guests on people and events they chose to research. Additionally, SZ students made friendship bracelets and delved into graphic design, making custom t-shirts.
Plans for the 2026-27 school year include expanding High School Learning Labs offerings to the Corona Student Center, Classical offerings to the Santa Ana Student Center, and adding an additional Classical class to Pathfinder.
