In 2000, a small group of teachers and parents began asking some simple questions:

• Can curiosity survive an education?

• Is it possible to have both high standards and choices for students?

• Can education be engaging and fun while still being meaningful and lasting?

• What if schools embraced teachers as leaders and parents as partners?

• What might be possible if a school focused on the whole child–mind, body, & spirit–first and foremost.

As an answer to these questions, they founded Cornerstone Learning Community (CLC), a Pre-K through 8th grade school dedicated to meeting students where they are and implementing challenging curricula that reflects the interests of the students.

22 years later, CLC is now an accredited, award-winning school where students can be found engaged in active learning, service learning projects and academics that apply basic skills in novel contexts. Teachers enjoy the support and professional respect of the administration, and parents take on a number of leadership roles within the school. The result is a school of the people, by the people, for the students.

While students’ consistently score far above the average on the norm referenced Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the real measure of the school’s success lies within the student body itself.  Creative and engaging, their joy and enthusiasm for learning is palpable. They remind us time and again, there is a big difference between a student who can spell and a student who wants to spell better. It is the latter that drives us.

Our goal: life long learners who are not afraid to ask hard questions or pursue their dreams. Judging by the success our graduates are enjoying in high school and college thus far, it seems to be working.

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