Our Admissions

Please submit the form below to begin the admission process.

What is RP E&D?

This is a unique ½ day high school program designed to help students have a voice and choice in their own learning journey as well as an opportunity for them to discover and develop their gifts, talents and interests.  Student learning is done predominantly through real-world projects regarding topics in which they are passionate.  Multiple courses are integrated through project-based learning so that students can earn credits in English, history, science and/or business through the microschool experience.

In practice, students will experience a flexible, professional environment where they get to make most of their own choices about how they spend their time and what they focus on. 

Students will meet the RP E&D site for:

• Full group check-ins (brief meetings to touch base)

• Professional guest speaker presentations

• Individual or team conferences with coaches to plan and reflect on your personal and team goals

• Seminars (small group meetings) with coaches to receive extra support on difficult material or problems you are solving

• Meetings with your student teams (self-guided work on your projects)

• Individual work (self-guided work on any required coursework that isn’t being met by a project)

Students will also have the opportunity to work off-site with their business partner or other subject matter expert (similar to an internship) whenever appropriate. The amount of time off-site will vary depending on the project(s) students are currently working on.

What are the requirements to participate in RP E&D?

This program differs from traditional schooling in that it is innovative and dedicated to being transformational in nature.  Students in the program need to:

• Be open to new ideas and possibilities

• Be a junior or senior in high school (no less than 14 credits earned)

• Desire to work with other students on problem-based, real-world projects

• Be willing to work with business partners throughout the KC area

• Provide own transportation to RP E&D as well as to possible business sites.

How do I enroll?

Complete the online interest form so we have a better idea of what courses and projects are the best fit for you.  There is no formal application or acceptance process for the program.  The only requirement is that you are interested.

Who is this experience for?

• Students who are ready to apply their learning to real, authentic situations on a daily basis.

• Students who want an active voice in their own learning and want to authentically experience how what they learn in school is truly applied in the real-world.

• Students who are self-motivators and enjoy hands-on learning and need to rediscover a love of learning.

• Students who need or want to engage in “job-keeping” skills like adaptability, responsiveness, collaboration, critical thinking and learning to persevere through mistakes and failures. 

• Students who are ready and willing to work with business partners across the KC area to solve real problems in areas in which they are passionate.

What does this program look like?  What will I experience?

• The program is offered in a three period block of time and students will earn 1.5 credits a semester.  Students will work in teams on real-world, problem-based experiences in collaboration with area business partners.  Some of these projects will come from businesses but some may be developed around a student’s passion/interests.  

• Four teachers will lead approximately 125 students in this program.  Students will be able to earn credits in several subject areas, including English, science, social studies and business.

• A majority of the student’s learning will be found in the projects.  Therefore, there will be very few traditional teaching methods used such as lecture, book work, assessments, etc.  

• Students will work in their collaborative groups daily.  What that collaboration looks like may be different every day.  It may be discussing, researching, designing, building, creating, meeting with business partners, problem-solving, etc.

I am involved in a sport or other extracurricular activity. Will I still be able to do that?  What is the workload like for this program?

• Absolutely.  Collaboration, instruction and even visits to area business partners can be done in the three hour block allotted for the program.

• Since most of the work will be done during the block time, the workload will not be more, and could be less, than any other course.

What courses will be offered?

How are the projects “assigned”?

Based on student interest.  Students will be able to rank the projects they are most interested in and assignments will be made based on those interests.  In addition, students can create projects based on their own passions and interests.

 Will this experience cause a shift in my career plans?

Perhaps.  You may be thinking about a type of career and then work on a project with a business partner from that area only to find that it isn’t the type of job you thought it would be.  You could also work on that project and find it is everything you thought the job would be.  The important part is that you learn this before you go to college, or enter the workforce, not after.

Where did this idea come from? 

As a part of the district work with the Kauffman Center, some district employees visited a microschool called Iowa BIG.  Iowa Big has been in existence since 2008 and continues to grow each year.  The RPHS Microschool will be modeled off of Iowa Big. To hear what students have to say about the experience, go to iowabig.org/prospectiveparents and scroll down to the student video.  

It should be noted that Iowa Big started off with one site of 125 students and has expanded to 4 sites of 125 students each; this is because students love the experience.  We are hoping for the same for RP students!