One Stone

Boise, ID

Students running their high school and changing the world

One Stone launched in 2008 as a project-based after-school program for local teens. Before long, students wanted a school like One Stone, where the majority of their time would be dedicated to exploring their passions and making a difference while learning. In true One Stone fashion, the young people themselves designed Lab51, its full-time high school experience, which opened in 2016. One Stone’s offerings have expanded to include seven no-cost, out-of-school studios and labs, plus robust professional development services.

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See for yourself

What it looks and feels like

One Stone’s Lab51 students are not just learners, they are the architects of their education. With a board composed predominantly of students, they actively shape and refine the One Stone experience. The focal point of their learning is the Design Lab, where students use design thinking to tackle complex challenges. Substantial freedom is combined with robust support, as each student is paired with an adult advisor for academic, social, and emotional guidance. In addition to impacting students’ lives, One Stone equips them to contribute meaningfully to the world. Students have created an award-winning app to combat distracted driving, organized engaging camps for local children, and advocated for environmental policies at the state level. At every turn, adults who encounter One Stone students express surprise at all that they’re doing at their age; they might be insulted if they weren’t so productive making a difference.

I loved the initiative at One Stone, taking on real-world stakes. It was hard work, but watching hundreds of real people interact with my work makes it all worthwhile.
JAMES SILVERIA, GRADUATE

THE IMPACT

84%

college acceptance rate for Spring 2023 graduates

$2M

in projected four-year merit scholarships for Spring 2023 graduates

135

colleges and universities around the country have accepted One Stone students

MODEL HIGHLIGHTS

Student-led

Youth have designed all of One Stone’s experiences and make up over two-thirds of its board. They even contribute to revenue generation through Two Birds, One Stone’s student-powered, professional-grade marketing firm.

Guided exploration

One Stone’s Living in Beta wayfinding process empowers students to discover passions, uncover purpose, and acquire the skills to pursue them. They explore an array of topics through 1-4-week experiences, equipping them to identify a focus for their comprehensive Design Lab projects.

Competency-based assessment

One Stone’s growth-based assessment model builds on its feedback-rich environment to enable assessment of a wide range of vital yet hard-to-measure 21st-century competencies.