Here at Building 21, we aspire to be innovative in our approach to behavioral health. Over this past year, we have consolidated our efforts in Restorative Practices, Trauma-Informed Care, and Cultural Competency into a model which we call the “TriChange Model”. Our new tripartite model builds on our core design principle - relationships are [...]
What does mastery of an academic skill look like? In education, we are constantly endeavoring to find the best ruler by which to measure student growth towards proficiency in fundamental skills. We believe that the best opportunities for authentically assessing the progress of our students occur when we push them to apply their skills [...]
Inside Allentown School District's Building 21, being 18 is the topic of conversation. "I want to vote and make a difference that could inspire others to vote as well and create a difference," students said. A group of seniors are leading a student voter registration drive for the 2020 elections. You can view [...]
Earlier this month, Building 21 was featured on the Competency Works blog. Tom Gaffey, Building 21's Chief Instructional Technologist, authored a piece that highlights our Learning What Matters Framework and details a few of our introductory professional development activities. We are honored and excited to share our work on a [...]
This year, our report features many of our outstanding graduates and their reflections on the impact Building 21 has had on their journeys. Please click the image to learn more about our accomplishments in 2018-2019.
Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will support Building 21’s goal of building a nationwide network of secondary schools that effectively use data for continuous improvement Building 21 has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the foundation’s Networks for School Improvement (NSI) portfolio. The [...]
Reimaging school. As easy as riding a bike, right? We think it’s more like setting aside what you know about riding a bike and learning how to ride in a completely different way. Which has been done before. Check out Destin from Smarter Every Day and The Backwards Brain Bicycle. [...]
Faced with his students’ needs, young people of color needing supports in school that go beyond academics, Kevin Gold started something - a weekly lunch group for four young men. It was simple; they met for lunch, shared their stories, their challenges. They went deep, talked about being targeted in school, feeling like people [...]
Building 21 Allentown released this welcome video for their families. As Yanalit tells her younger peers, "One thing is for sure, you will work hard! You will also get a chance to choose what you learn based on your passion and interests." Yanalit, her fellow graduates, and Building 21 teachers and staff [...]
In July, we hosted 90 partners and colleagues for the Summer Design Institute, three days of learning, designing, and growing as professionals and adult learners within the Building 21 Network. We welcomed teachers and administrators from across the country, as well as many partners and supporters from across the region and beyond. This year’s [...]
