At Invictus Nashville, we believe students should have ample opportunities to dive into diverse fields of study and try their hand at different pathways so they can develop a sense of purpose and concrete next steps that work for them. At the core of everything we do is our mission to prepare our students to find their unique path to professional and personal freedom. The Expeditionary Learning journey is designed to help students discover what they find fulfilling by uncovering what sparks their curiosity. Regardless of whether their journey to finding their sense of purpose is a direct route or a windy road, they are learning the whole way.  We take this a step further by proposing a school that learns in its community as well—a school where students are learning from and alongside residents and experts in their neighborhoods and city. The learning that occurs alongside experts in their community will supplement the learning they are doing in the classroom in content, and it will also result in greater 21st-century skill development. Students are now being required to enter the world with new “soft” skills that they previously were not expected to have practiced and mastered.55 Mastering 21st-century skills can be what separates students who are prepared for a complex living and professional environment from those that are not, and we believe learning within, alongside, and from their community will promote creativity and innovation, critical thinking problem solving, communication, and collaboration in Invictus Nashville students. These skills will make them more competitive in a local, regional, national, and global market, regardless of the route they and their families choose when they graduate from Invictus Nashville.  What exactly does that mean for your student? During the seventh week of each quarter, students can explore a wide variety of topics, such as visual arts, graphic design, film production, engineering, entrepreneurship, and external internships. The topics will be determined based on community partnerships and student interest. Students are immersed in new situations that expand their imagination of possible career paths. Expeditionary learning is critical for a student to reflect on their sense of purpose, and ultimately develop a concrete next step. The expedition framework is based on how students see themselves individually, themselves in the community, and themselves in the world. This will develop and change over time but at Invictus students will be able to have the ability to be exposed to different fields, explore, and pursue with the support of our staff. Please see a picture of the framework below.