Finding Your Community as a Student at The Pearl: Remote High School
A Student Blog by Kaitlyn T.
When students approach The Pearl with the interest of enrolling, this decision is usually motivated by the academic advantages offered by the democratically focused learning model of The Pearl, which you can find out more about here on The Pearl’s website.
However, there’s a whole different side of The Pearl that might not get as much attention but is just as important for students’ education and overall growth: the social side of The Pearl. I know firsthand what it’s like to feel hesitant or uncertain about becoming a student of The Pearl. Transitioning from an in-person school environment to the online-centric world of The Pearl is a big jump, and you may fear that the online-centric nature of The Pearl may be isolating or depersonalizing, but it’s not.
I, as a former student, along with any other current or former student, can assure you the environment facilitated by the Pearl is highly sociable in a way that outpaces the standard high school environment. There are a few key reasons why I and many others think so highly of The Pearl’s social scene.
Students and teachers put effort into fostering a kind and respectable environment that makes the place comfortable and open. It is open for discussion and the ability to truly speak your mind about any relevant topic and release what is inside you, which can be channeled creatively into your work in any of the wide range of classes The Pearl offers.
You might have realized something. That freedom that the Pearl gives you, the freedom to engage in a topic and speak your mind, that’s democracy. That’s democratic learning. The Pearl is so warm and welcoming because it is intrinsically linked to its core philosophies and overall mission statement. The core focus on democratically engineered learning and education tailored to fit you and your needs, giving you as a student a say in what goes on inside the classroom is a benefit for the quality of your education and a lasting academic advantage. Still, it will also benefit your overall experience and quality of life at The Pearl, as it has for me and many others.
The Pearl has its own student-run Discord server. This gives you the ability to fraternize with your fellow students, who may come from all sorts of different backgrounds, but you and they are all united as students of The Pearl and doubtlessly have other things in common to share and bond over. During my time at The Pearl, I met numerous smart, kind, and hardworking individuals who I have the utmost mutual respect for. The students and teachers I met and had the pleasure of interacting with day to day were so kind and respectful that those feelings became inherently mutual, and the feeling of respect for one another is constant and unwavering. And I’m sure that if you choose to become a part of the metaphorical family here at The Pearl, you’ll feel it too, exactly as I did when I was a fresh new student. By the time of your graduation, I guarantee you’ll have as much to say about the people you met during your time as a student as I did.
– KT
Edited by Marciana Romero