Mission
"KAS was instrumental in my child's successful relocation to Pittsburgh from out of state."
Paul T.
Think Critically, Act Kindly
Mission: Kentucky Avenue School is a progressive K-8 community where we challenge and support each other to become critically thoughtful, creative, and compassionate global citizens through academic achievement, self-discovery, and social engagement.
Vision: In a supportive setting, KAS students acquire the skills to succeed academically through experiential learning, personalized instruction, collaborative problem-solving, and artistic expression. Students are empowered to develop a strong sense of self, responsibility, and advocacy to affect and create change in their own communities and the world.
Our school prioritizes programming on the following 4 guiding principles:
Whole Child, Individualized, Experiential Approach:
- Social-emotional learning and students’ connections to each other are just as vital as academics.
- Each child is celebrated and known.
- We create meaning and knowledge by doing and making.
- Cooperation, kindness, and collaboration are central to promoting and modeling healthy interactions with peers.
- We value self-care and wellness for each student, educator, and community member.
Social Justice and Civic Engagement Emphasis:
- We commit to a social justice curriculum that promotes a culture of service, responsibility, and civic engagement.
- Our goal as a learning community is to foster open and honest dialogue.
- We celebrate and value diversity and difference,and acknowledge that not all members of our community enjoy the same privileges, historically and presently.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
- KAS must be a nurturing and safe space, respectful of students’ racial, cultural, and ethnic identities, religion, family structure, social and cognitive style, sexual orientation, and gender identity and presentation.
- Inclusion and support of neurodiversity benefit all students and generate a more vibrant, empathic, and innovative community.
- KAS fosters an inclusive learning environment where diverse perspectives are recognized, respected, and seen as a source of strength.
Creative, Curious, and Critical Thinking:
- We hold space for collaborative, experimental, and creative thinkers.
- Students’ interests and passions guide and inspire emergent curricula and projects.
- A strength-based approach empowers students to achieve their fullest potential.
- The arts are integrated with everyday learning.
- Students are encouraged to reflect, question, and develop intellectual curiosity.
- Facilitating understanding and thinking critically is part of the classroom culture.
- Students take ownership of their learning. Classrooms are safe for students to explore, discover, and creatively problem solve.