What kind of children do parents in the tech industry want to raise?
According to research by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, many high-tech parents want to raise young people who know their way around technology but who aren’t controlled by it. While technology plays a role in their homes and daily lives, these parents also want to ensure they’re raising children who are curious, engaged and active.
That’s why many parents who work at many leading technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple choose Hillbrook School as their top educational option for their children. We’ve compiled a list of some of the top reasons parents choose Hillbrook as a place for their children to grow, discover and achieve.
1. Students at Hillbrook Learn Collaboration as a Necessary Part of the Learning Process.
PBS recently highlighted the importance of “soft skills” and the role they play in growing Silicon Valley companies. Collaboration – working together in groups, working well with others, and communicating clearly – will always be a valuable skill set, even as the different types of technology used change.
At Hillbrook, collaboration, including respecting and embracing diverse viewpoints, is a key tenet of the school’s philosophy.
Students work together in an integrated learning setting even in their earliest years. The Kindergarten Gingerbread Project is a prime example of how Hillbrook students collaborate from their earliest years to create stories, develop social and emotional maturity, learn math concepts and more.
2. Hillbrook Embraces Failure.
For many high-achieving families, this might sound counterintuitive. However, the Hillbrook philosophy encourages students to take risks and to move forward.
The students do not allow fear to prevent them from starting a project or to hold them back; instead, they are encouraged to take decisive action, try, and then improve, or “fail better.”
This commitment to resilience, persistence and grit is intended to help students stretch beyond their comfort zone and to be open to opportunities and exploration.
3. Hillbrook’s Beautiful Campus is a Childhood Dream.
From the first visit to Hillbrook, guests – from parents and prospective students to visiting faculty – are enthralled by the green spaces and open areas for natural play. The Hillbrook campus encompasses 14 acres of land where children can run and play each day. Students of all ages adore the campus creek, which is used to foster scientific exploration and ecological awareness.
The crown jewel of the campus is The Hub, a 3,000-square foot makerspace. The Hub is equipped with a full suite of tools that students can use to take on creative projects, from music and podcasting to 3-D printers and woodshop tools.
The Hub is designed to be a space where you can dream a project, then do it, taking the technical steps required to problem-solve and engineer the desired end result.
In addition to new and vibrant spaces like The Hub, the Hillbrook campus is also full of rich traditions. One of the perennial favorites of Hillbrook students is the school’s Reading Room, located in the Hillbrook Water Tower — a historical landmark on campus.
4. Hillbrook Students Learn to Think Beyond School.
Students at Hillbrook aren’t just learning to pass a test or recite a speech in front of a class.
Along with exploration and discovery in the classrooms as part of their daily learning experience, students also participate in programming through the Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship. The focus of this program is to encourage viewing the world through a human-centered design lens, then using problem solving skills to create an impact at Hillbrook and beyond.
One of the successful programs launched through the Center was a Kiva Lending Club that helps real-life entrepreneurs. This partnership offered an opportunity to expand the students’ horizons and curiosity about the greater world, and to allow them to begin making an impact on society even at an early age.
5. Hillbrook is a Place for Joyful Learning.
At Hillbrook, children are allowed and encouraged to be children, because children are the best natural learners. They’re innately equipped with curiosity, enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge.
Hillbrook educators focus on cultivating that zest for learning and keeping students’ zeal for new information burning brightly as they head into the future.
Encouraging problem-solving and change-making at these young ages teaches these students that they don’t have to be an adult to make a difference; they can start now and can continue to impact their world as they grow.
For parents who are looking for an educational experience that grows children into engaged, active, curious lifelong learners, Hillbrook should be at the top of the must-visit list. Contact the admissions office for questions or to set up a time to visit the campus.