Life is made of journeys big and small. We know that the world we are preparing our children for is fast-changing and that the paths they will travel are still emerging. 

To succeed, they’ll need the power to find goals worth seeking, to figure out how to reach them - and to adapt as the world changes around them. And so we build in our students the power to navigate new situations and the skills that will enable them to move through any barriers they find along the way. 

Set a vision. 

Boston’s graduates are keenly curious and deeply hopeful. They know that the way things are isn’t the only way they can be, and they know they have the power - and the responsibility - to make things better, for themselves and for others. 

Able to set goals. Curious. Confident. Hopeful. Sense of agency. 

Choose a course. 

Boston’s graduations build plans that account for the realities of their situation. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and can assess those of others; they can get the job done. They can read the context that surrounds them, choose a wise course through it, and stick with their plan when things get hard. 

Assess and reflect. Plan and persist. Practice self-regulation. Read the landscape. Take initiative. 

Work with others. 

Boston’s graduates bring out the best in others and do some of their best work through collaboration. They listen to what others say, hear what they mean, and tune in to what they feel. They build on other people’s ideas and communicate their own, by argument and by story. 

Ability to find and ask for help. Collaboration skills. Communication skills. Empathy. Service and responsibility to others. 

Build competence. 

Boston’s graduates have the academic knowledge it takes to do high-quality intellectual work, the technical skills required to practice their craft, and the practical competencies they need to take care of themselves as they make their way through the day-to-day. They know how to learn what they don’t already know; they’re confident in their power to grow and make change around them. 

Ability to learn. Ability to self-assess. Academic foundation. Financial, media, and technology literacy. Technical skills. 

Change course. 

Boston’s graduates can assess what’s really going on around them and adapt their plans as needed when their situation changes. Grounded in their self and community, they are able to keep trying when things get hard, and work their way through the problems they encounter - both the clear-cut and the ambiguous - with imagination and rigor. 

Able to navigate situations, analyze, and adapt. Comfortable in ambiguity. Comfortable with change. Get and take feedback. Resilient.