When I walk through our schools, I see students who belong and feel seen as important members of our learning community. Not just by their teachers, but by principals, administration and support staff, volunteers, and peers across age groups. Every day I see students being encouraged to express themselves, to explore and discover their talents to share with others. In our latest newsletter, you’ll see an Applying Stage (7th grade) student teaching her classmates to crochet because she learned the skill from an elder resident during an intergenerational visit. You’ll see Developing Stage (typical grades 3-4) students running every aspect of the Near West Tea Shop, from interviewing applicants to managing orders. You’ll see Refining Stage students presenting climate research to younger students, families and community partners at an Earth Day Fair they designed themselves.
And it isn’t just in the isolated “big moments.” Small, everyday interactions between and among this community show students navigating various choices, making mistakes, taking risks, and learning all along the way. They're what happens when a school is intentionally designed to be a safe space that nurtures individuality.
With about 225 students in each of our two free public school campuses and an average class size of about 16 students, we're able to create something that becomes exponentially harder as schools are often forced to grow larger: true personalization.
Every adult in the building knows our students as individuals. That's not a luxury. It's an intentional structural advantage for children that shapes everything else we do in our unique model of public education.
Our principals don't just know every student's name. They know their learning goals, their challenges, what lights them up, and what they're working toward.
Our teachers don't just track academic progress. They understand how each student learns best, what motivates them, and what support they need to reach their personal best. In multi-age classrooms where students may spend multiple years with the same teacher through our looping model, these relationships deepen over time.
Nurturing individuality isn't just about knowing students personally, though that's the foundation. It's about designing systems that honor how different every learner's path can be.
Multi-age classrooms allow students to learn based on developmental stage, not just chronological age. A student who needs more time to master concepts doesn’t “repeat” a grade. A student ready to move ahead faster isn't bored or made to go to another class. Students move at their own pace and have several tries to grasp ideas and skills, or opportunities to delve into topics more deeply.
Mastery-based learning means students progress when they're ready, not in lock-step as a group, where some may get left behind. Our report cards reflect authentic growth and demonstration of mastery over time, showing families where their child is on their individual learning journey.
Responsive Classroom practices create environments where students' social-emotional needs are as visible as their academic ones. Morning meetings, building community in the classroom where every student matters and plays an important role, whole-school community meetings where everyone comes together to celebrate each other, and intentional individual relationship-building give students space to be seen as whole people, not just memorizers or test-takers.
Intergenerational programming connects students with older adults who share skills, stories, and perspectives that expand students’ understanding of the world around them and their ability to positively impact others’ lives. Some students who sometimes struggle with classroom behavior excel at genuinely making the residents happy. When Laila learned to crochet from a senior center resident, she didn't just acquire a new hobby. She discovered a passion she now excels at and shares with her peers through the student-led Crochet Club at TIS–East.
Student-led initiatives like the Near West Tea Shop give students real responsibility and empowerment. When Developing Stage students interview applicants, manage inventory, make business decisions and serve customers each week, they're doing meaningful work that builds confidence, collaboration and problem-solving skills, and pride in doing a job well done.
This year's academic outcomes tell an important story about what happens when students feel they belong.
Near West sustained its 4.5-star rating for the second consecutive year, ranking #3 among Cleveland's 107 public K-8 schools. TIS–East made significant gains, jumping from 1 to 3 stars in Gap Closing and reducing chronic absenteeism by 15.8%. These results reflect more than test preparation. They show what happens when students want to be at school because they feel known, supported, and challenged.
When students are confident that their teachers understand their strengths and struggles, they're more willing to take risks in their learning. When they know their principal recognizes their progress and potential, they show up more consistently. When they see their interests reflected in after-school clubs, fieldwork opportunities, and classroom projects, they engage more deeply.
Individuality and community aren't opposites. At the Intergenerational Schools, they're partners. We nurture each student's unique path within a community that sees and celebrates them.
Nurturing individuality shows up in countless moments across both campuses:
For families searching for a school where their child will be truly known, where learning is personal and community is strong, the Intergenerational Schools offer something increasingly rare: an environment designed from the ground up to honor every learner's individual path.
Our small class and school communities make this possible. Our experienced educators make it meaningful. Our intergenerational model makes it distinctive.
Early enrollment for the 2026–2027 school year opens in January, giving prospective families priority access to open seats in these FREE public schools.
If you're looking for a place where your child can thrive at their own pace in a supportive community, we'd love to connect. Learn more at igschools.org/enroll or contact our enrollment team at enroll@igschools.org 216-978-0568.
Our Fall 2025 Lifelong Learners newsletter explores this quarter's theme of Nurturing Individuality in depth, featuring student stories, academic highlights, and a look at after-school clubs where students pursue their passions. Read the full newsletter here.