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HIVE (Hub of Innovation and Exploration)

Fulfilling the DC Promise of preparing students for a life of impact begins in the earliest grades. The Lower School faculty at DC seeks to teach for deeper learning and encourage students to grow in their understanding of God, themselves and their unique purpose in the world. Students are being prepared to fulfill God’s plan for their lives in an ever changing world. In addition to providing a strong academic foundation, students are encouraged to develop the skills of a good learner through critical and creative thinking. Students are challenged to grow in resiliency by taking learning risks and viewing mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. They are provided opportunities to collaborate in teams, offer relevant solutions, and communicate ideas effectively as these are essential skills every DC student will need throughout their education and beyond. 

Traditionally, the interdisciplinary nature of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) instruction has provided opportunities to develop many of the skills mentioned above. The HIVE (Honeycomb of Innovation and Exploration), established in 2021 as a part of Delaware County Christian School’s Center for Innovation, is an interdisciplinary learning space on the Lower Campus for students to explore, and delight in the awe and wonder of God’s creative work as they collaborate and share experiences with their peers across grade levels.

Here, students of all ages can actively engage around a topic that has application across disciplines and grade levels. For example if the topic was bees, you may find students sketching the anatomy and life cycle of bees in an art area. On the other side of the room, students might be building and coding robotic bees to replicate the waggle dance, or researching why the hexagon is the perfect shape for cells as they construct their own honeycomb to share with younger students. Students might go online to research the honeybee and learn how to help the honeybee population or hear from a local beekeeper about the importance of pollinators in the environment. They could then work together to map and plant a pollinator garden at a partner senior center.

In addition to weekly HIVE classes for students in PK4 through fifth grades, the Lower Campus hosts an annual EXPLORE! Night. The goal of EXPLORE! Night is to provide an engaging environment for students to see the world from a different perspective, express their thoughts and feelings creatively, collaborate around a common goal, and solve problems right along with their families. Together, we model lifelong learning as we engage in the design cycle process and learn something new.  

The annual band concert, and art show which takes place during EXPLORE! Night provides a forum for students to grow in confidence as they share their gifts and talents. EXPLORE! Nights in the Lower School expose students to the creative process essential to innovation that they will participate in more fully in Middle and Upper Schools. 

Field trips and field studies round out deeper learning opportunities with excursions to community partners, nature centers, historical sites and area museums. These experiences build on Lower School students’ core learning in the liberal arts, creating a complementary program that is experiential, engaging and developmentally appropriate.