Partnership is a fundamental premise of the Urban Assembly school network, which manages 22 small public schools in New York City. Each school is centered around a theme that comes alive for students through connections with partners—businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and colleges. The UA School for Collaborative Healthcare, for example, partners with the Greater New York Hospital Association and the United Healthcare Workers union.

Crosstown High, an XQ school in Memphis, intentionally engages a true cross-section of the community—an inspiring goal in a historically segregated city—and has cultivated deep connections with dozens of local businesses and organizations, many of which played a role in designing the school. In one recent project, Crosstown students did extensive research and developed a peer counseling program—their response to a challenge from Alliance Healthcare Services, which reported that many of the young patients they treat for mental health conditions experience loneliness and isolation at school.

At Montpelier High School in Vermont, students use design thinking to find out what local government and businesses need and propose possible solutions. One team of physics students analyzed the air quality downtown and submitted their findings to the city with recommendations on how to reduce pollution and improve driving patterns.

Through experiences like these, students develop innovative thinking skills, build empathetic relationships with their community, and learn what it’s like to design real solutions with adults.