All Saints Exploratorium outside.jpg

Four years after launching a multi-phase, $6 million capital campaign, All Saints Episcopal School has transformed its learning environments to better engage students and propel them to academic and life success. 

“I believe the state of our school is really strong,” Head of School Mike Cobb said. “We started this campaign four years ago in order to honor our past and imagine our future. We wanted to imagine what schools could look like if our students were changing the world.”

Cobb updated the school’s community about the progress of the campaign during its fourth annual State of the School luncheon last week. The event also served as an opportunity to thank the school’s community for their support. 

Board of trustees president Stacy Bengston explained why they had chosen Valentine’s Day for the event.

“This year we are celebrating, very appropriately, those who love our school. I want to be the first to say All Saints loves you back,” she said. “I think that love is a feeling that is expressed through action, and it’s your love for All Saints that compelled you to action.”

Cobb said he joined All Saints as the campaign was taking shape, ready to sell the school’s community on truly audacious ideas to reshape the way students learn.

Now, he is seeing that vision truly come to life, pointing to examples such as a group of students using the learning labs to record a studio-quality cover of a song; students 3D printing prosthetics and guitar picks for musicians with limited mobility; and the school’s new student-run marketing agency Copper Roof Media, which is already taking on professional clients.

The changes over the years have not only altered the appearance of the school, but also the way students learn. 

A drab entryway in the Lower School has been transformed into a learning forest with floor-to-ceiling trees filled with books and learning nooks. 

Hallways now look like little cities with each class resembling houses. Across from the entryway, a once unused plot of land now hosts one of the largest school learning farms in the country. 

The new playground for the youngest students was designed by older students, with new projects coming each year.

What was once a library, now hosts state-of-the-art technology and hands-on learning space complete with areas for a student-run café, multimedia design and marketing teams.

This summer the school will cap off the campaign’s final phase by building a one-of-a-kind geodesic dome to host its Science Exploratorium.

Cobb said the immersive experience will begin with students entering a briefing area, reminiscent of the staging area, to find out what adventure they’re about to embark on.

For example, students could be heading to the surface of Mars, with “windows” in the Exploratorium providing them a view of the Martian landscape from their learning station. Students will then learn about the tools needed for their mission and work together to complete a hands-on scientific expedition.

Cobb said people thought he was reaching when he decided to set such outrageous goals, but four years later students are already starting to transform their community thanks to the love and support of parents and donors.

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