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The Emerson School is a charter school in the Portland Public School District, serving Kindergarten through fifth grades.

Picture A Classroom...
... filled with all kinds of wonderful objects from the real world that entice and challenge children to explore and investigate. Imagine the hum of voices as busy minds discuss, think, create and invent as they work cooperatively or independently to solve real-life problems. These children are engaged in active learning in math, literacy, science, social studies, and the arts. They are involved in in-depth investigations of complex, real-world topics. Using students’ interests, these investigations allow students to learn and master fundamental skills and concepts while building a love of learning and a strong internal motivation. This is a classroom at The Emerson School.

Now picture another classroom. Students are working in small groups at the Chinese Garden. Some students are sketching the garden’s layout, others are comparing different types of plants. The information they collect is later used in their own garden designs and botany projects. These students also design and publish their own brochures describing the garden for other elementary school students visiting the garden throughout the year. These types of activities give students the opportunity to hone and master fundamental academic skills and concepts, through real life situations in their communities. This is a classroom at The Emerson School.

And yet another...
On their daily visit to a local park, students notice a large number of bicycles over-filling a bicycle rack. Through a class discussion and problem solving session, they decide that another bicycle rack is needed nearby for people to safely store their bikes. This requires a study of city services: who needs to be contacted, what type of proposal needs to be written, and how to pay for the new rack. The final result is a written proposal to the City, a bake sale to raise the funds, and a ceremony as the new bike rack is installed. Through a wide variety of community service projects, students learn the importance of being contributing members of the school and community at large.

Welcome to The Emerson School.