Teaching and Learning

The goal of Teaching and Learning at UHS is to foster a community where students and adults learn together. This involves engaging with and adapting to a changing world while remaining grounded in the school’s core values of inquiry, care, integrity, agency, and interconnection.

The academic program emphasizes student-centered inquiry. For example, in 9th grade physics, classrooms are arranged around shared tables with whiteboards for collaborative work. Rather than relying on long lectures, the learning model encourages guided, hands-on investigations in which students play an active role in constructing understanding.

Across disciplines, students are encouraged to find meaning and relevance in their coursework. In history, this includes a year-long exploration of Mexican and non-Western history. In English, a wide range of electives—from Afrofuturism to seminars on James Joyce—invite students to engage deeply with literature. Advanced electives in Spanish and Mandarin offer additional opportunities for rich, literature-based study.

Students’ efforts to connect with one another, their teachers, their source materials, and the broader world extend beyond the classroom. Thriving affinity spaces and a comprehensive human development curriculum strengthen these interconnections, which form the heart of the UHS community and support its commitment to making profound and positive change.