Challenge-based learning occurs through intensive, short-term interdisciplinary courses, called "Quests," developed around real-world challenges.

These experiences are designed to enhance students’ understanding of big ideas and broad global concepts, and their development and application of 21st century skills – the kind of things educators hope students will remember and still need to know and use 20 years from now.
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Examples of Quests include:

• Third grade students work with the Levine Museum of the New South and the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke to collect oral histories of North Carolinians’ experiences during the Civil Rights Movement.
• Fourth Grade students work with our school lunch caterer to create and develop a lunch menu for inclusion in our school lunch program. Students will learn about healthy eating, nutrition, safe food handling and food waste management practices.
• Sixth grade students work with Discovery Place to develop podcasts featuring their interactive exhibits; other middle school students visiting the museum are to listen to the podcasts as a way to learn about the physical science concepts behind each activity.

For more examples of challenge-based learning at the NYCiSchool, please visit www.roomfourzerotwo.com.