FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Templeton Academy reimagines education through personalized, project-based learning that builds critical thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving skills. Our educational approach is built on three pillars:

Core Advisory ("Find Your Why"): Learning to recognize your role in your community and developing essential soft skills such as empathy, conscientiousness, self-regulation, perseverance, and time management.

Project-Based Learning ("Meaningful Exploration"): Developing character, citizenship, communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking through collaborative co-learning.

Fieldwork ("City As A Classroom"): Hands-on learning and real-life experience navigating the world around you.

Our mission is to revolutionize access to student agency by nurturing young people from all backgrounds into purposeful adults who use their gifts in a way that brings them joy and serves others. Our vision is a world full of purpose-driven lifelong learners prepared to thrive in college, career, and life.

Our average class size is 10 students, allowing for personalized attention and meaningful relationships between students and teachers.

Most notably, we have a unique schedule in which students take two classes a day per quarter. This allows students to deeply engage with the subjects they're studying. Instead of jumping from class-to-class in 45-minute increments, students typically spend 2 hours and 20 minutes Tuesdays/Fridays or Mondays/Thursdays to explore each subject. This also supports our experiential approach to learning.

We take hands-on learning seriously and use the city's vast resources to deepen our understanding of the world and the subjects we're studying. We're a small school where familiar faces abound. We keep class sizes intentionally small. Because of this, every student is known and expected to engage every day.

Our logo captures the essence of our story and aspirations. It features a hand-drawn question mark shaped like a "T" with a paperclip design. The question mark symbolizes our belief that wrestling with big questions is more important than simply reciting correct answers, representing our inquiry-based approach to learning and our emphasis on students finding their "why." The paperclip element symbolizes connection and solidarity, reflecting how we bring together diverse learning experiences and build strong relationships within our community.

Yes—but we go further. Our students discover their purpose before declaring a major and enter college ready to lead discussions, think critically, and engage deeply.

Our students are kind, curious, and resilient. They are students who don't just want to sit in a classroom and be talked at — they want to actively participate in their learning. They no longer want to look at teachers as rule makers, but as partners in learning. Students who are motivated to learn about the world around them and themselves will be most successful at Templeton Academy.

Yes. Templeton Academy is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Templeton Academy has been approved for operation in the District of Columbia by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and Templeton Academy Nashville by the Tennessee Department of Education.

Taking two classes a day and only two per quarter allows students to deeply engage with the subjects they are studying. Instead of jumping from class-to-class in 45 minute increments, students have 2 hours and 20 minutes with each subject to explore concepts fully. This model also allows students and teachers time to make learning hands-on. Educational activities like cooking tacos while speaking only in Spanish or visiting notable city landmarks for a lesson on politics or art are only possible in a setting that provides that needed time and space.

Each day differs, but typically classes average 3 transitions within a 2 hour and 20 min block and might include group and individual work (lab, projects, problem-solving sessions), student presentations, excursions, quizzes or tests, and breaks.

We offer a comprehensive curriculum including:

Humanities (combined English and History), Mathematics, Science, Foreign Languages (including Mandarin, Spanish, and French), Arts, Physical Education and Health, and Personal Finance (grades 9-12).

Online courses are available through accredited partners, handled on a case-by-case basis based on student interest and need, and with Templeton Academy approval.

Similar to a college seminar, students sit around a conference table beside their teacher and are expected to actively participate in discussion. When on excursions, students can explore around their city with their teacher to enrich content learned in class.

Teachers are encouraged to take their classes out at least once a week. Last year, Templeton Academy took over 80 excursions throughout the school year. These excursions range widely in scope and purpose:

A photography class capturing architectural elements in the historic district • A science class collecting water samples from local streams for environmental testing • A history class touring government buildings and meeting with local officials • A math class measuring and analyzing traffic patterns at busy intersections • A language class ordering and conversing entirely in Spanish at local restaurants • A literature class attending performances of works they're studying • An economics class visiting local businesses to interview entrepreneurs • Art students sketching at galleries or outdoor spaces • All-day immersive experiences with museum docents or industry professionals • Community service projects with local non-profit organizations • Visits to university campuses for specialized workshops or lectures

These diverse, purposeful excursions connect classroom learning to real-world applications, helping students see the relevance of their education while developing comfort and confidence in navigating their community.

Through service learning, students engage in projects that contribute to the betterment of their community and to their overall education. Students are highly self-motivated and encouraged to find and organize their own projects. Staff and faculty are there to support our students, but take a step back to enable students to see their service projects through on their own merit.

We believe the majority of learning should be during class, but homework is a useful tool to reinforce what was learned in class or to work on an upcoming project. The amount of homework each student has each day varies depending on how effectively students manage their time. Students have a "Flex" period of 2 hours and 20 minutes each day to work individually, with classmates, and with teachers on class assignments. Students who take advantage of their "Flex" period should expect approximately one hour of homework outside of school each day.

Online courses are available through accredited partners, handled on a case–by-case basis based on Student interest and need, and Templeton Academy approval.

We offer college counseling for grades 9 through 12. Our college counselor works one-on-one with each student and family to develop an individualized plan that reflects the goals and aspirations of the student.