Baker Demonstration School

I have had children at Baker for over 20 years-all 8 of my children have attended and they have had nothing short of exceptional experiences. All of them have grown into the dynamic individuals they are in part due to their experiences at Baker. It is hard to encapsulate exactly why Baker has left such an imprint on my children but a significant contributing factor would definitely be the experiential learning the students in every grade are immersed in hands-on learning in a way that they are able to retain and carry with them and they make meaningful connections allowing them to not just to memorize info to take a test but to learn in a way that grows their overall knowledge enriching them as dynamic individuals. This is done in an environment where each child is validated for who they are and encouraged to explore and challenge themselves in a multitude of ways. The unit studies are one of my favorites - a theme is chosen by the teacher and the whole class is immersed in this unit for weeks and every facet of learning is achieved through this in hands-on ways that leave the students with a unique concrete understanding of the concepts taught and insatiable enduring curiosity and enthusiasm. The excitement the students have for these unit studies is boundless. All of that is enhanced by the exemplary specials/arts programs (including swimming) and unique school-wide traditions like the 5K, sunrise breakfast, Baker bonfire, cardboard challenge, and outdoor ed trips to mention a few. The overall sense of community is warm and diverse and welcoming - the bottom line is children thrive within the walls of Baker and beyond. There is a complementary dynamic of academic rigor along with the edification of the whole child socially and emotionally providing students a foundation to succeed in life. I cannot say enough about how positive of an experience Baker has been for my children.

I know Baker Demonstration School in Evanston is working for my children when I see how happy they are to go to school in the morning and how they approach their studies with focus, interest and excitement. It's the kind of education experience I wish I had at their ages (8 and 12), and I highly recommend Baker for families who want their children to be taught not WHAT to think but HOW to think critically and creatively about the world, issues and people around them. Baker is unique not just for its academic excellence as an independent school but for its project-based learning philosophy, which builds on what we know about how children learn the best. I see the school's teachers constantly honing and refining their lessons to fit children's interests and needs, giving them dynamic learning opportunities to fully engage with material instead of simply preparing for tests. I see how Baker's faculty differentiates in the classroom and goes the extra mile for children who are learning at a level beyond their grade and for those who need extra support. And I see how Baker's teachers deeply know and understand my children and communicate with me and other parents all year long.As for the children, I witness classrooms and community areas full of excited and kind students who are supportive of each other, eager to achieve, and able to reach out to teachers when they need some help or extra attention. I know that my children will be able to advocate for themselves and navigate high school and college as confident and curious individuals because I have seen how they have grown and blossomed at Baker. One daughter loves math and Latin, another adore art. They are each encouraged to follow their passions without compromising who they are as individuals. As a parent, I am grateful that the school additionally provides an array of exceptional programs, including art, music, drama, dance, and P.E. (including swimming) as well as aftercare when needed. I am grateful, too, for the diverse community of friends - across the school and across grades - that our family has gained here. And I appreciate that Baker opens its doors to parents and community members so that I never feel as if I am being shut of my children's educational process. Baker Demonstration School is an extraordinary place where everyone does their best so that our children can develop growth mindsets and become their true selves, in their own unique ways.

We moved across the country to Chicago when our daughter was starting the 5th grade. She loved the school she attended, and we hoped that she would find a school where she would love learning, have teachers who inspired and challenged her, and where she would find connections amongst a kind and open group of students in her new home. Baker's way of welcoming our daughter spoke volumes about its values. Now, in her sixth-grade year, it feels as though she has been at Baker her whole life. Her friendships with a diverse group of students are strong. Her teachers inspire her deep (and prior hidden) love of math. She continues to find her own voice: in the Middle School Math Expo, she explored the intersections of math and diversity in the US Wage Gap. She's found a home during an important time in her life.

We choose Baker because of the focus on experiential learning and its philosophy that puts the child at the center where each student can take ownership and help direct his/her learning. This was crucial for my son, who entered Baker in 4th grade, because I knew he learned best when he was "doing" and also needed to build confidence in speaking and learning the skills of self-advocacy. We have been gratified with our Baker experience within weeks of entering school, he was thrust into "Baker Business School", where the 4th and 5th graders pitched product ideas, formed companies, applied for jobs, negotiated loans, developed marketing plans and websites and had "manufacturing week" where they built their products. The 8-week unit culminated in a product fair where parents, students and teachers could purchase the wonderfully creative items. Our son came home each night animated about his job as CFO and talking about things that I might have thought were out of his grasp but really weren`t. Thank you Baker!

Baker has been an outstanding education and social experience for our entire family. The environment is kind, progressive, thoughtful, and intelligent, and the new leadership has set the school on a continued path to success. My daughters are known well by their teachers, for whom they have great affection, and I see how they are allowed to BE THEMSELVES as valued members of the community. They are excited to go to school and have learned more than I ever imagined through hands-on, experiential learning that is tied to a strong and coordinated curriculum. Learning is differentiated in small classrooms with additional associate teachers on hand, allowing for extra attention and guidance when needed. In fact, Baker has some of the hardest working teachers I've ever known, continually adjusting and modifying their curriculum to meet student interests and enhance learning. It is a dynamic and profound experience to see in action.Teachers and administrators are communicative, welcoming, and accessible at all times, and parent involvement is encouraged. Values such as integrity, respect, tolerance, and compassion are part of the fabric of the school.When I meet Baker graduates, I constantly notice how compassionate, intelligent, articulate, curious, and civic-minded they are, able to advocate for themselves and stand up for others. It is a joy to be part of a place where children are put front and center in a safe, caring, and truly exciting learning environment.

We absolutely love Baker. We intended to leave after preschool and put our children in the public schools (Evanston) but now have been there almost 8 years. Our two girls are excited every morning to go to school, and we love who they are becoming at Baker. The school is educating them as citizens of the world--the girls are curious learners and thoughtful community members. The teachers care deeply for the students, and help them both academics as well as socio-emotional learning, which are deeply connected. The girls are becoming advocates for themselves, and developing flexibility and openness for a changing world. We are both professors at Northwestern and see a lot of college students missing important traits and skills (many lack independence and are full of anxiety, fear of risk taking, and rigidity/performing to the test, etc.), and think a place like Baker is an important antidote to such problems that characterize many of today's college students. We couldn't be happier. We love Baker and want to share it with others.