Curriculum Overview

The Village School of Louisville offers a unique, joyful, whole-family approach to education. We opened the school in fall 2021 for students in grades K-8. VSL was able to add a 9th grade to the school for the 2022-2023 academic year, and we are set to add 10th grade in fall 2023. VSL is inspired by the Finnish educational model because Finland places priority on the well-being of each student, equitably serves all students, and provides support and autonomy to teachers.

Neuroscience confirms that children (and adults) learn best when they are joyful. VSL fosters classroom environments that are centered on process rather than performance, on children and not grades, and on relevant, hands-on projects rather than worksheets. A VSL education prepares students for an unknown future by fostering creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and competence in a world that is becoming increasingly connected. To achieve the latter, VSL students study at least two other languages and experience a broad range of sports, arts, hobbies, and life skills as part of the curriculum. These classes are taught by community experts and contributors, helping VSL to grow our village beyond the school grounds. Importantly, VSL ensures that students have plenty of time for play during the school day—15 minutes for every 45 minutes of class plus an additional longer recess each day.

VSL class sizes are limited so children can be met where they are, be challenged the way they need to be, and supported in overcoming individual hurdles. In sum, VSL students have equitable access to VSL education. Not only does VSL equitably serve its students, but we intentionally teach equity. Humans are bombarded by subtle yet pervasive messages about gender starting at birth. Those messages are reinforced by systems and structures which maintain gender inequity and limit the potential of all children by confining them to expected gender roles. Because gender norms are so pervasive, so subtle, and yet so powerful, we must deliberately and boldly teach gender equity starting at young ages. The same is true of racial equity, religious equity, and so many other differences used to divide communities. VSL teaches equity with a focus on gender and race.

VSL teachers are professionals who are extremely knowledgeable about children and excited to participate in an evidence-based and practice-proven educational approach. VSL depends on them to individually serve each student. VSL ensures that our teachers have sufficient time to collaborate so that each student may benefit from the subject matter expertise of each faculty member. VSL teachers provide constant input to leadership so that student needs are consistently centered in VSL functioning.