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Rethinking High School in America's Heartland

XQ: The Super School Project

Posted May 2017

The XQ Super School bus is meeting changemakers across the country.

In September 2015 we embarked on a mission to rethink high school. XQ: The Super School Project began as a competition soliciting the boldest ideas for designing better school models - and it has since transformed into the largest open call in history to rethink high school. The journey continues throughout this spring and summer, as the XQ Super School Bus heads back on the road.

Our goal: To catalyze this burgeoning movement in communities across America's heartland. We're engaging in real conversations about what it will take to remake our nation's high schools for the future.

The best part? We're inviting anyone and everyone to join us to tour the bus and participate in our programs. See below for our upcoming stops.

Where We Came From

In 2016, XQ The Super School Bus, our retrofitted vehicle for change, traversed the country to spread the word about XQ and meet Super School contestants. The tour culminated in Washington, D.C., with the announcement of our Super School awardees.

We met thousands of students, parents, educators, administrators, and community members teeming with ideas for improving high school so that all students are prepared for the future.

Check out this interactive map for a glimpse at where this movement has blossomed.

Where We're Headed

We'll add upcoming tour dates below as they're scheduled. For more updates, follow XQ at @XQAmerica on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 17-19
Detroit, Michigan, May 22-24
Boston, Massachusetts, July 13-14

A Sneak Peek at Some of Our Super Schools

Students at New Harmony High will get a front row seat to the effect coastal erosion is having on coastal communities in the United States. With a strong focus on environmental issues, New Harmony High will be housed on a barge floating in a coastal community at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Meet the Super School.

We don't ever need a vacation from learning - and that's just one tenet that makes the team behind Powderhouse Studios successful. At this Super School in Somerville, Massachusetts, students will be fully engaged year-round in projects that tap into their motivations, passions, and ambition. Meet the Super School.

At Brooklyn Lab, students will learn from personalized lessons and experiences that will actually prepare individual students for real life - a life outside of high school classes and college exams. "We have to put students and teachers at the center of our design," says school co-founder Erin Mote. Meet the Super School.

In the nation's capital, Washington Leadership Academy is harnessing the power of technology to inform education. Not only does the school incorporate high tech tools into courses and curriculum (think virtual reality and mini drones), but students are also prepared with skills like coding that will help them succeed in a highly technological future. Meet the Super School.

Meet all 10 Super Schools.

Connected Stories

  • XQ + Pop-Up Magazine: XQ Super School Live

    A 7-city immersive storytelling tour to inspire people to reimagine high schools.

    XQ: The Super School Project
  • XQ Launches a New MOOC with MIT

    A new, 4-week online course helps create a graduate profile unique to your school, students, and community.

    XQ: The Super School Project
  • XQ and Youth Speaks Announce Brave New Schools Contest

    XQ and Youth Speaks invite young people to submit original art that rethinks the schools of our future.

    XQ: The Super School Project

From Our Network

  • #GraduateTogether

    As coronavirus has prompted the cancellation of high school graduation ceremonies across the country, a one-hour primetime special on Saturday, May 16, will honor the more than 3 million high school seniors across the country.

    XQ Super School Project

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