The U School is a user-centered, competency-based high school in Philadelphia. Users (U), or the youth, educators and parents/guardians that use schools most, must be at the center of designing learning experiences that provide a rigorous and dynamic learning spaces focused on the needs and passions of each student. To that end our core values of love, dream and do guide and permeate our community of learning and action. Our mission is to build meaningful relationships that allow us to support students to accept challenges and opportunities through: student agency, real-world problem-solving, developing engaging high-quality products with the purpose of demonstrating mastery, and to push the boundaries of seat time through asynchronous learning. Ultimately, our students are more prepared for post-secondary options by attending a school where they feel cared for, deeply explore themselves, and meaningful learning are the only ways to advance!

Our Work

• Integration of restorative justice, antiracist principles, and trauma informed practices to maximize care and safety for ALL students

• Design and organizing student learning experiences (Legible, Aligned, Accessible and Meaningful)

• The balance of academic and life competencies (Competency-based Learning Overview)

• Implementing innovative one-year 12th grade pathways to launch students into their futures

• Enhancing Adult Learning through educator empowerment

To learn more about The U School contact Neil Geyette, Founding Principal (ngeyette@uschool.org)