This document describes a dream school that abandons traditional classrooms and focuses on collaboration, creativity, and community involvement. Students would apply their skills to innovative projects rather than traditional download-style learning. The school would provide co-working spaces and resources for the community. Teachers would facilitate ideas rather than lecture. The ideal location would be a renovated 12th century castle providing classrooms, labs, arts facilities and student housing in a dramatic coastal setting. Small class sizes of 20 students maximum and a dedicated, qualified teaching staff are also described as ideals.

2. If you could
build a
dream
school,
what would
you do?

4.  The organization abandons the
word “school” — in reinventing
education, it becomes a bootcamp
for design where youth and
collaborating community members
apply their creativity toward
innovative applications.
 The traditional classroom is
abandoned in favor of space that
favors multidirectional
collaboration. Moreover, building
that houses the organization is
designed to be more than just a
box. Rather, it is designed to be
easily transformed and
reconfigured as quickly as our ideas
regarding teaching and learning
evolve and transform.

5.  An infrastructure is created to support
technologies, but the technologies
themselves are not deeply embeded
(because they will likely change by the
time they’re institutionalized). Students
are responsible for bringing in and
supporting their own technology,
perhaps by providing them with a
technology grant/budget.
 The school is not just a tool for youth,
but is a resource for the entire
community it serves: Provides co-
working and incubator resources for
people with ideas that want to involve
youth, and facilitates innovative, non-
formal, informal and “invisible” learning
opportunities.
 A new breed of teacher/facilitators are
trained and recruited to do away with
download-style pedagogy, and rather
serve as curators of ideas and enablers
of creativity and innovation.

6.  The school
campus is located
in the 12th
century St Donat’s
Castle on the
dramatic South
Wales coastline,
overlooking the
Bristol Channel.

7.  St Donat’s Castle houses classrooms, a
performance hall, dining hall and a library
collection of more than 25,000 volumes in a
variety of languages. Also on campus are
student residency houses, well-equipped
science laboratories, computer facilities,
music practice rooms, a theatre, a student
social centre an independent arts centre and
a pool.

10.  The concept of bringing together young people
from around the world, to live, work and serve
together in this dramatic setting is truly unique,
and I know that the friendships that are forged
here, and the opportunities to learn from each
other, will resonate throughout the future lives
of all our students. This wonderful opportunity,
however, carries with it an enormous
obligationto make a positive difference with our
lives. This is no ordinary mission, but then, this
is no ordinary place.

11.  In an ideal school
there are no more than
twenty students in
each of the classes.
Each students is
provided with a single
chair and a single desk,
which are in quite
good condition.

12.  An ideal school is provided
with an ideal staff. The
teachers of an ideal school are
well qualified. They are greatly
interested in learning and
teaching. They do not have any
mercenary motive. They take
teacher ship as a mission in
their life. They work in the
school with a missionary
spirit. They are the men of
character and integrity. They
work together with a team-
spirit and with full co-
operation and understanding
among themselves.