Life At Meraki
The Neighborhood
Although our modern home-schoolhouse is located on Music Row, the city of Nashville is our campus. Nashville gifts us with beautiful parks, the coolest cultural scene, and the best food—all at our doorstep! Our teachers and staff partner with local organizations and various experts in their respective fields to bring unique learning opportunities to our students. Our expeditionary learning adventures and field studies support our bespoke curriculum. What better way to develop inquisitive, compassionate, and responsible citizens than through exploring the city outside our front door!
Our Library
A library is not just a place that houses books: it is a place where children learn to imagine a world beyond their own. Research shows that children who have access to libraries read more often, have better language skills, and a broader literary taste. At Meraki we ensure that our students have access to a great variety of high quality resources that support their unique educational paths and interests. Our library has an eclectic assortment of materials ranging from interactive story books and novels that develop social-emotional skills to board games that support academic growth. The library even houses storytelling kits with small props and miniature dolls and figures so students can take part in the telling of their favorite tales! It is said that good school libraries promote a knowledge-driven community for the future and our library is designed with this in mind.In our chaotic, modern world how wonderful to be able to count on a quiet space! Our library is a tranquil sanctuary featuring a soothing salt water aquarium and a window-side writing station where inspired children can create and dictate their own stories. The Meraki library is truly a child’s gateway to the world and the wisdom in it.
Maker/Art Studio: Collaboration, Creativity, Communication
At Meraki we believe that we all possess an inherent creative potential. Dare to explore: imagine a learning experience where the possibilities of what you can create are endless. The maker studio is a learning space designed to be interactive, engaging, and fuel innovation. It empowers students to ask questions, develop ownership around their education and a love of learning. Our marker space provides hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they engage in science, engineering, tinkering and art. Students gain a foundation of knowledge, confidence and pride in their achievements in addition to strategies for planning and working effectively. They then are able to evaluate the process of their learning so they can grow from their mistakes and enhance future ideation. In the maker studio children practice using growth mindset as they work through trial and error.
The notion of multiple attempts refining design and failure are all inherent with engaging students to take risks. Children are given provocations to create as well as the freedom to invent and generate inventions in a manner of their own choosing.Children have daily opportunities to work independently or in small groups on their projects. The maker studio consists of woodworking tools where children will be taught how to use and have a healthy respect for tools and most importantly how to use them safely. Some of the benefits include hand eye coordination, focus, responsibility, conceptualization and creative thinking.
A vast array of art supplies and crafting materials, loose parts, sewing machines, knitting, jewelry making, clay and a 3D printer can all be found in our maker studio. We believe that creating is a conduit for pure emotion that helps us live in a world of beauty. It is extraordinary to see just how much learning is involved in a working session. It encompasses all areas of development fostering creative children with a passion.
At Meraki we dreamed that classrooms could support all facets of academic success through engaging students with modern amenities nestled in timelessly comfortable surroundings. We made this dream a reality by innovatively designing classrooms according to the science of how children learn. Our multidimensional classrooms feature spaces for both collaborative and autonomous learning with both comfort and utility in mind. Each classroom boasts spaces for students to face instructors during lessons, which is scientifically shown to promote information retention and recall. Each classroom also offers spaces that optimize student-to-student collaboration, making it easy for blossoming students to communicate with their peers. Classrooms are configured to fit the unique developmental needs of each of our Learning Houses. The K-2 Learning House classroom provides sensory spaces for our youngest learners to explore the world through tactile stimulation. Research demonstrates that sensory input assists young minds organize novel information, in turn making students better able to focus in on one sensation. The 3-4 Learning House classroom is designed for our maturing students who as a result of their readiness to expand their independence, require more spaces for self-supported projects and peer-to-peer collaboration. Finally, the spacious middle school building offers a mature coffeeshop-like seating area where students engage in intriguing seminars and inspiring conversations. To see how our classrooms harness the latest modern research on how young brains learn, schedule a tour today!
Our Classrooms:
