Welcome to The School at Columbia University!
The School at Columbia University (TSC) is an independent K-8 school created by Columbia University in 2003 to serve children of neighborhood families and those of Columbia University employees. Our intentional school culture embraces shared beliefs across disciplines and grades, which underlie important values expressed through everyday behaviors and visible symbols throughout our community:
Community
Encouraging creative problem solving in dynamic groups where outcomes are not always predictable, but ultimately greater than any individual perspective could envision.
Collaboration
Promoting inclusivity, facilitating open communication, and providing clear expectations to all members of the community to ensure a healthy, productive environment, inside and outside the school.
Diversity
Reveling in an environment of myriad learning experiences that address important aspects of diversity, including identity development, anti-bias skills, and the idea that difference is better.
Innovation
Taking thoughtful risks grounded in current research, putting new technologies to work in classrooms, and always seeking new approaches to learning to provide a meaningful 21st century education to all students.
Our Mission
We dedicate ourselves to fostering in our students personal resourcefulness and integrity, a sense of social responsibility, and a lifelong appreciation of learning through an innovative, socially and emotionally supportive, and academically challenging program. Our pedagogical and curricular philosophies embrace multicultural perspectives, which challenge educators and learners to examine their preconceptions. We adhere to a common code of civility among all constituents. We tailor our instruction so that the needs of the individual students are met. A committed faculty and administration strive to create a school that will stand as a model for what K-8 education can be, and serve as a genuine and enduring partnership between Columbia University and its neighbors.
- To serve as a cornerstone of Columbia University’s recruitment and retention strategy by offering a high-quality schooling option for families employed by the University
- To serve the neighborhood by offering a compelling educational alternative to local public and private K-8 schools
- To serve as a laboratory and model for innovative curriculum and pedagogy, supported by ongoing research and application of best practices
- That preparing children to succeed in the 21st century necessitates an integrated, inquiry- driven approach to learning
- That all students benefit from learning to participate in a diverse school community
- That students learn in different ways, and that it is The School’s responsibility to support these learning differences
- That developing a passion for learning in our students requires a faculty that is passionate about teaching and dedicated to our collective mission
- That a safe, nurturing environment promotes student achievement
- That collaboration among all constituents is key to successful integration and program design
- That curriculum must focus not only on academic competencies, but also on issues related to self-exploration, interrelationships, and community involvement
- That our diversity can sometimes lead to conflict, but can also lead to learning, growth, and respectful understanding
- To explore effective collaborations with Columbia University’s departments, faculty and staff
- To employ a lottery-based, need-blind system for admitting students from the community to maintain need-blind admissions
- To look for opportunities to conduct research on what we are doing that is innovative, and to then bring the results of that research to the wider community
- To recruit and retain an outstanding faculty
- To have faculty work as members of grade-level teams rather than in isolated departments
- To find ways in which to promote collaboration among and between families
- To promote meaningful professional development and a professional culture at The School
- To promote reflection and personal growth for students and faculty by regular goal setting
- To be a leader in the integration of digital technology in the classroom
- To create a culture of common purpose, collaboration and widespread participation in decision-making
- To attend to the ongoing evaluation and assessment of our program
- To maintain open and continuous dialogue between all members of the community, including parents and students
Lenape Land Acknowledgment
Lenape, meaning “the people,” are the original peoples of Lenapehoking: New Jersey, Delaware, southern New York, eastern Pennsylvania, and western Connecticut. The School at Columbia University respectfully acknowledges that our school is situated on the ancestral Lenape island of Manaháhtaan,“the place for gathering the wood to make bows,” in Lenapehoking. The TSC community pays respect to and recognizes our continuing connection to Lenape land, language, arts, culture, ancestors and their descendants.