A New School That Thinks Like a Kid

innovative school design

Portal Schools has a vision—to create a high school that allows students to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and a Bachelor’s degree in an environment that is fully designed for them. This ambitious, yet promising goal for this emerging network of micro-schools is using this approach to foster diverse relationships and provide career-immersive learning.

Partnering with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), students can customize their high school courses to fit their learning style, schedule, and interests. With Flex Days built into each week, students have time to engage in rigorous coursework, collaborate on real world learning projects, and independently focus on their goals.Launching in 2021, Portal Schools is creating an opportunity for students to learn alongside industry professionals and reduce their postsecondary student debt. They are working to provide flexible schedules and student-centered instruction to prepare students for high-level career options. Their unique approach to education includes:

Competency-Based Education: No more traditional, time-bound courses

Career-Immersed Learning: Meaningful mentoring and internships

Hybrid Schedule: Options on when, where, and how students learn

A Personalized Experience: Individualized, small cohort learning

Not Your Average High School

In eight months, new students will reimagine what high school looks like. Portal students will attend school at a campus co-located at Belkin International. Known for making people’s lives better through technology, Belkin will now welcome Portal students into its global community.

Portal wants students to see school through a new lens. Split between classrooms and collaborative spaces, students will receive personalized support from all stakeholders, including Portal teachers and Belkin professionals. By removing the obstacles around access to industry networks, students will be fully-emerged in internship opportunities and workplace resources.

The Portal Student Profile

Portal aims to include all learners, especially the “aspiring disruptors” and the passionate, curious, and independent students. At Portal, the student label is removed and replaced with professional, innovator and entrepreneur. Seen as young adults, learners plan their days based on their project days, flex days, and work-based days. They also get to choose how they want to explore their passions through extracurricular activities. Portal prides itself on being a school like no other. The choices belong to the students and the possibilities are endless.

Every learner benefits from a Portal education. With flexible payment options and financial aid, Portal is affordable for all students. Seen as an investment, the cost of attending is only a fraction of the price of a private school mixed with a university education.

Portal wants to “make life’s next step more fruitful by providing students a success launching pad.”

Portal is recruiting students for their founding calls now. Early applications are due December 18, 2020 and the final application deadline is February 15, 2021.


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Getting Smart Staff

The Getting Smart Staff believes in learning out loud and always being an advocate for things that we are excited about. As a result, we write a lot. Do you have a story we should cover? Email [email protected]

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