This event showcased the types of impacts the Global Impact Diploma will have on students, local and global communities, and education, along with how these impacts will be measured.

• For Students: The Diploma fosters agency, purpose, well-being, and future readiness. Progress is measured through competency portfolios, self- and peer-assessments, well-being surveys, and alumni reflections.
• For Communities: Students address real-world challenges through meaningful projects and partnerships. Success is measured by project outcomes, community partner feedback, and stories of lasting impact.
• For Education: The Diploma aims to redefine success beyond grades by emphasizing impact and transferable competencies. Growth will be measured through adoption by schools, recognition from universities and families, and the long-term sustainability of the program.

In partnership with the Admission team, participants explored student agency in learning through examples of student work, highlighting how student-centered and student-led learning better prepares young people for the opportunities and challenges ahead than traditional models of education.

Barrie School community members gathered on October 15 for the first event in our "What is School For?" Series to hear about the books the faculty and staff read this summer, the future of education, and what learning could look like. 

• What School Could Be by Ted Dintersmith
   
• Becoming Brilliant by Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
   
• 10 to 25 by David Yeager, PhD

Books may be purchased here, thanks to our friends at People’s Book in Takoma Park. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Barrie School.

Barrie School is in the midst of great momentum. We are excited to be the first school in the United States to offer the full Global Impact Diploma. Of course, with great excitement comes great anticipation, and we know you have questions and curiosities about what this new academic enterprise entails.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Personalized Pathways: Global Impact Diploma Info Session on Nov 5. The energy in the room—and online—was inspiring, with so many thoughtful questions, great insights, and opportunities to connect. Leadership shared what the Global Impact Diploma means for the Barrie School community; and engaged attendees in a collaborative conversation about this next chapter in Barrie School’s future.

If you missed the in-person event or Zoom session, you can watch this video recording (Passcode: x9upN&ay).

We’d love to keep the conversation going! Send your questions or curiosities GlobalImpact@Barrie.org.

“What is school for, if not to prepare students for life?”

On Thursday, December 4, Barrie School hosted a community screening of Multiple Choice, an inspiring documentary that explores innovative approaches to education and career readiness.

The film follows a Virginia school district where students engage in career-based learning that values both academic and vocational pathways — challenging the traditional “college-for-all” mindset and highlighting how schools can better prepare young people for meaningful futures. Multiple Choice showcases students collaborating, exploring diverse careers, and developing both traditional and new-economy skills. The screening served as a springboard for conversation around expanding educational opportunities and creating more equitable pathways to success for all students.

Watch the trailer here

On January 15, 2026, Barrie School welcomed Dr. Scott Morrison, Professor of Education at Elon University, and his student Grace Rasmussen, to spend time with faculty, staff, and friends to discuss the rearticulations of progressive education.

At the same time, we discussed the ways in which progressive education lays the foundation for the future of education. Both Scott and Grace shared information about their research into the question, “What does progressive education look like in the 21st century?” and highlighted the ways in which Barrie is part of a larger cohort of institutions wrangling with this question.

We also spent time in facilitated dialogue with one another, considering how schools engage in the six domains of progressive education—content, assessment, pedagogy, culture and community, DEI, and responsiveness to students—both now and in the future. In the process, we also explored the tensions inherent in progressive schools and began to think through the ways in which we as a school—this includes educators, parents and caregivers, and advocates for children—can reckon with, even embrace, these tensions.