It Takes a Village to Build a Vision
At Brightworks, we believe that a strong community forms the bedrock of an engaged learning experience.
Our students, staff, families, along with visiting experts, alumni and mentors, contribute to the rich fabric of our school in so many ways.
It is the coming together of all these people that allows us to spark a love for learning and nurture a deep curiosity about the world with our students.
Brightworks is a community where every student is known.
And they know that their ideas matter.
This dynamic means that the work of educators is to enhance student learning by fostering a sense of belonging, increasing engagement, and promoting real-world application of knowledge. Ultimately, by adding tools to a student’s toolbox, we facilitate the collaboration between students, families, and the wider community, leading to better academic outcomes and overall well-being for students.
It is only when students can rest into that feeling of connection and safety that they are truly able to take risks, fall down and try again. That is when deep and meaningful learning can take place.
Our daily practice of morning and closing circles, affinity groups, interest driven Community Friday offerings, off campus field trips and promotion of student agency in their learning are all key to this idea of students knowing themselves, building empathetic relationships with one another, navigating conflict and understanding their sense of place and context in the broader community and world.
We invite family involvement
And it is not a requirement
Because learning is relational, we welcome your support to help create a strong community for our learners and families. For parents and community members, volunteering time or talent at Brightworks is engagement-driven and a 'want to', not a 'have to.'
Your help to create strong community, without creating stress for your family, is the goal. We encourage parents to model being curious and lifelong learning to the extent possible, and find ways to make connections to your student’s learning in the family’s life.
Brightworks is a place not just for students to learn and grow but for families to learn and grow as well. From the Well Lit Book Club, to weekly Morning Coffee, to a welcoming co-working space with wifi, we acknowledge our school is a place for parents, too! We invite you to join in when and where you are able!
Learning with the broader community
Collaborations with local businesses and organizations allow our students to connect with the rich resources of the Bay Area.
Whether it is through our connections with the Exploratorium, The Presidio Trust or SFMOMA or Amplify RJ or the Denver Museum, students are able to learn alongside local experts who are invested in sharing their knowledge.
Join our network! Become part of our Human Library
What is a Human Library, you ask?! A Human Library is very much like a regular library where people go to check out books. The only difference is that the books are all human volunteers who have opted to speak about their experiences openly to an interested audience and answer any questions they are asked.
These are elders who share their cultural traditions, these are innovators celebrated in their field, and some of our human library volunteers are doctors, educators, or scientists. Whoever you are, you have something to offer students as they delve into their areas of interest. Join our Human Library today and let us know what you’d like to share!
community in action
Annual Maker Marketplace
10-13 year olds celebrating with a meal together before break
Each day begins with a Student-Led Morning Circle, where announcements. are made, appreciations are shared, and there is a moment of mindfulness.
Our BI&PoC Family Night
A lit oil lamp with a small blue flame on a surface, with blurred colorful lights in the background.
Visiting Author, Aida Salazar
Student led celebration of Diwali
A group of middle and high school students and staff went to Seattle for the Teaching For Social Justice Conference
Brightworks strives to be a place where everyone feels welcome.
Beach scene with many people watching the ocean, some tents and belongings on the sand, overcast sky.
Our staff are amazing
Gever, Brightworks Founder, testing out a 14 foot high chair created by the students.
Six people standing together indoors, wearing leis and red skirts with black geometric patterns, some with flower headbands, holding a wooden ukulele, and smiling at the camera.
Our annual Beach Day. Not always warm...but it's always fun!
Woman in a black shirt and red patterned skirt dancing indoors, wearing a flower lei around her neck.
Group of diverse people in formal attire standing in a bright room with string lights, some wearing masks, posing for a photo.
Parent-Led celebration of AANHPI month
The image shows a large, layered, egg-shaped sculpture made of stacked reflective materials inside a museum with visitors observing it.
Children and adults exploring a grassy, blooming hillside near the ocean on a cloudy day, with some kids lying on the grass and others walking or standing.
Children playing and exploring outdoors in a wooded area, digging and examining the ground.
Young girl with dark hair and gray shirt outdoors, using rocks and dirt, with a bucket nearby, surrounded by green foliage.
People on a beach launching and playing with a large gray parachute or kite during a cloudy day.
Our community is always growing :)
A carved wooden bench resembling a log resting on the ground amidst green grass and trees.
Annual family bonfire night at Ocean Beach
Parent of an 8 year old
“For our family, the school community has been so wonderful and so deeply human. We've made lifelong family friends and genuinely love the community of fellow parents we have gotten to know here.”
Parent of a 11 year old
“Because we live far away, I worried that I had ripped Q from his community. When I asked him, he told me “But I have a new community mom, and I still see my old friends. My world is growing.”
From his adjustment to middle school, to his academic challenges, to his capacity for support, joy and love in the house, watching our child transition and enmesh in the environment of Brightworks has been a gift.”
