“Basics of Military History and Science,” “Intro to Web Development,” “Mission to Action – Starting Your Non-Profit,” “Introduction to Aerospace Engineering and Science: A Brief History and Basic Overview,” or “Intro to R Software and Data Science,” what sounds most interesting to you? 

This year, Bronxville has an exciting array of mini-electives where any high school student can enroll. Taking place during lunch, students have the tremendous opportunity to learn from another expert peer, under the guidance of a teacher, about niche problems. The classes are graded, but on a pass/fail basis. Designed to be approachable, they are a fun way to learn more about a topic you are interested in or to pursue one that looks fascinating. 

Students can take core subjects they learn from standard coursework and apply them to real-world topics. This is the embodiment of nearly every piece of the Bronxville Promise, which stresses leadership, innovation, engagement, and thinking. 

In addition to it being a great resource for interested students, it also reinforces important themes for those wishing to teach them. Required to gain permission for the idea, design a curriculum, and present it in an appealing way, the student-teachers are confronted with a tall task. But that is what makes this a great piece of Bronxville’s curriculum.