In a world that asks us to shape our lives for a college application or a resume, Nueva gives us space to make a soul. To linger on the things that delight us. To give our curiosity reverence.

— Om Gokhale ’18, "Lessons from a Bluejay"

The
Nueva Way

For over five decades, Nueva has crafted and continuously evolved an educational experience uniquely designed for gifted learners—one that sparks curiosity, fuels passion, and cultivates a lifelong love of learning.

At Nueva, learning doesn’t follow a conventional path. It is:

Interdisciplinary in nature
Rooted in progressive, constructivist, project- and inquiry-based methods
Centered around the student experience
Led by deeply knowledgeable and dedicated faculty
Anchored in the guiding principles that define our community

This distinctive approach—The Nueva Way—is how we bring our mission, vision, and values to life every day, across every grade from preK through 12. Each element plays a meaningful role in shaping the day-to-day experience of a Nueva student.

7 Principles of The Nueva Way

A community where gifted learners truly belong
A deep and enduring love of learning
An environment where students lead their own learning journeys
A commitment to social-emotional awareness and genuine kindness
A dedication to building a just and inclusive Beloved Community
A nimble and innovative spirit
A set of values that are actively lived and clearly seen in all we do

Learn more about Nueva's foundational pillars

Social-emotional learning

Design thinking

Equity and inclusion

Environmental citizenship

Learning at Nueva Is Interdisciplinary—Because Life Is, Too

At Nueva, education mirrors the real world: multifaceted, interconnected, and ever-evolving. We believe that preparing students for the complexity of life means educating the whole child—intellectually, emotionally, and socially—through learning that crosses traditional academic boundaries.

Gifted learners, at any age, thrive when they engage with real, relevant questions—when they’re invited to tackle meaningful challenges, explore multiple perspectives, and reflect on their own growth. Interdisciplinary learning makes this possible by allowing students to approach the world not as a set of isolated subjects, but as a web of ideas and experiences that inform one another.

In the Lower and Middle Schools, learning is centered around rich, thematic investigations. These themes open expansive pathways for inquiry and creativity. For instance, a second-grade exploration of immigration also includes human rights, social justice, ethnobotany, ancient number systems, music archaeology, physics of sound, the history and traditions of the Ohlone people, and more—illustrating how one theme can unlock deep, wide-ranging learning across disciplines.

By Upper School, students are not just participating in interdisciplinary learning—they’re helping shape it. Faculty craft courses and assignments that deliberately span subject areas, while students pursue projects and questions that reflect their individual passions and intellectual curiosity.

The Nueva curricula is rooted in skill development—reading, writing, critical thinking, research, problem-solving, and design. Content serves as a dynamic tool for cultivating these abilities and igniting a lasting passion for learning. Our students become deeply capable and endlessly curious, using their knowledge to understand and engage with the world around them.

This isn’t just theory. It’s lived experience. The Nueva Way—carefully honed over more than 50 years—is a dynamic, responsive educational model designed specifically for gifted learners. It’s an approach that evolves with our students and their world, inspiring lifelong learning, every day.

Sam Arndtsen

Nueva Middle School Faculty

“The ideal learning environment is one that is so immersive that the boundary between the classroom and the world outside is blurred to the point where students step through it without knowing. It is an environment in which students can’t help but formulate their own connections between what they are studying and what they observe in the world.”

What Do We Mean by Progressive, Constructivist, Project- and Inquiry-Based Learning?

At Nueva, learning is grounded in a progressive educational philosophy inspired by thinkers like John Dewey—an approach where students learn best by doing, exploring, and building knowledge through hands-on experience.

From their earliest years, Nueva students engage in developmentally appropriate, project-based learning sparked by real-world questions and meaningful challenges. They’re given the time and space to wonder, investigate, plan, test, and create. Their projects aren’t simply assignments—they’re journeys of discovery shaped by student choice and curiosity.

Students observe, explore, gather evidence, reason through problems, and experiment. They learn by engaging all their senses, making connections, and drawing their own conclusions. They take risks, make mistakes, reflect, revise—and in doing so, they deepen their understanding of both the world and themselves. The process is dynamic, joyful, and deeply human.

Throughout the year, students present their work—solutions, designs, performances, or presentations—to peers, teachers, families, and the broader community. These culminating moments are not just celebrations of progress, but opportunities to share the learning process and the thinking behind it.

At its core, this approach teaches students that learning isn’t about memorizing facts or checking boxes—it’s about mastering skills and concepts as part of a bigger journey toward insight, empathy, and wisdom. At Nueva, learning is active, connected, and alive. And in the process, students develop a genuine love for learning.

Megan Terra
Lower School Division Head

“Choice is about students being able to recognize and feel a deep sense of their own capacity, both in terms of having important ideas and also being able to investigate them, explore them, and develop new understandings and knowledge.”

Choice is at the Heart of Learning

At Nueva, choice is seen as essential to growth—shaping life, identity, values, and purpose. From the earliest grades through graduation, students come to understand that their decisions carry real impact, both immediate and lasting, for themselves and for others.

This deep awareness begins with an emergent curriculum that evolves in response to students’ interests and passions. Choice is not an occasional privilege but a central part of learning across all grades and disciplines. Students are most engaged when they feel ownership of their work, whether selecting topics, shaping projects, or choosing how to express their understanding—writing a play, designing an experiment, filming a documentary, or sculpting an idea into art.

Our social-emotional learning principles reinforce the importance of choice within community. As students collaborate, they learn to navigate differing perspectives, build consensus, and develop empathy and responsibility. In partnership with faculty, they are recognized as active participants whose questions and perspectives shape the curriculum. This emphasis on thoughtful decision-making prepares students to make choices that reflect their values and positively influence the world.

Teaching the Nueva Way

At the center of Nueva’s dynamic learning environment are the teachers—exceptional educators who bring the Nueva Way to life every day. Teaching at Nueva is both an exciting opportunity and a significant responsibility. Our faculty understand the unique intellectual needs of gifted learners and are committed to meeting those needs with depth, creativity, and purpose.

Gifted students thrive when guided by teachers who not only challenge them academically but also nurture their curiosity, channel their passions, and support them in pushing the boundaries of their own thinking. Nueva teachers are more than instructors—they are mentors, collaborators, facilitators, and co-learners.

Nueva teachers:

Design rich, integrated curricula that connect across disciplines and spark deep exploration.
Continuously refine their practice to stay responsive, adaptive, and innovative.
Collaborate with colleagues to develop thematic, inquiry-driven investigations.
Observe students closely, providing targeted feedback and coaching toward growth.
Create a culture of inquiry where learning is assessed through performance, presentation, and creative application.
Engage as lifelong learners, building new understandings in partnership with peers, students, and families.

Drawn from across the country and around the world, our faculty bring diverse talents, experiences, and perspectives. We provide them with the freedom to innovate and the support to thrive—through ongoing professional development and a culture of collaboration.

Nueva’s faculty don’t just teach the Nueva Way—they live it, model it, and grow alongside their students every step of the journey.

Guided by Core Pillars

At Nueva, four foundational pillars shape the way we think, learn, and interact every day: social-emotional learning, design thinking, equity and inclusion, and environmental citizenship. These aren’t separate initiatives—they’re deeply woven into the fabric of our school, helping students understand themselves, connect with others, and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.

Through these pillars, students grow into empathetic thinkers and responsible problem solvers. They build meaningful relationships, navigate complex ideas, and recognize their role in shaping a just, sustainable, and inclusive world. These values come to life through community-building, collaboration, service learning, and open dialogue—preparing students to lead with both insight and compassion.