Gran Via Education

Demographics

Percentage of students*

Why Gran Via Education was nominated

Gran Via is deeply rooted in community responsiveness, listening to the needs of the students and families they serve and building their program for them. Gran Via has returned learning to nature, they meet each day in Westland Park as a forest school/nature school program. Due to the intentionally small nature of the school, Gran Via knows all of their students well, sees them for who they are, and responds to their unique needs in real time. They are relationally focused, while creating a rich learning environment for every child.

Student experience design

Gran Via is designed to create a student experience that is deeply human, joyful, and personalized. We are building a small, relationship-based learning environment where students are known well, challenged meaningfully, and supported to grow as whole people. At Gran Via, students experience: * A strong sense of belonging in a small, multi-age community where relationships, trust, and connection come first * Learner-centered instruction that honors each child’s pace, strengths, needs, and interests * Strong academics paired with hands-on, meaningful learning that builds deep understanding rather than passive compliance * Bilingual and culturally responsive experiences that help students develop language, identity, empathy, and curiosity * Meaningful time outdoors as a regular part of learning, exploration, reflection, and connection to the natural world * Social-emotional growth woven into daily life so students build confidence, self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to navigate community well * Voice, agency, and ownership so students are active participants in their learning, not just recipients of instruction * A joyful and grounded environment where wonder, movement, creativity, and purpose are part of the school day Ultimately, Gran Via is designed to help students become capable learners, kind community members, and thoughtful stewards of the world around them. We want children to leave school not only with strong skills, but with a deep sense that they are known, valued, and able to make a meaningful contribution.

Core Practices

Core Practices	Length of Use
Dual Language Programming	1-2 years
Individual Learning Paths	Less than a year
Multi-age Classrooms	1-2 years
Project-based Learning	1-2 years
SEL Integration School-wide	Less than a year

All Practices

AI For Teacher Productivity

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

All Courses Designed For Inclusion

Restorative Practices

Self-paced Learning

Trauma-informed Practices

key reasons for innovating