We teach students to read the world, not just recite it. To write with meaning. To question with courage. To understand the systems that shape their lives — and imagine new ones.

Our compass has been forged through decades of lived experience in education — through the eclectic expertise and global perspectives of our staff, and through an unwavering belief that education, as the salvation of a civil, humane, and just global society, must not be reduced to hollow buzzwords heard but never applied.

We’ve seen, again and again, how even the best ideas get swallowed by top-down bureaucracy. How teachers are boxed in. Creativity stifled. Students reduced to data points. How standardized testing narrows what counts as success — and who gets to achieve it.

We reject that model.

Instead, we’ve built a school where real learning matters. Where autonomy is honored. Where teachers are trusted. Where students rise — not by grade-based rote, but through instructional relevance, creativity, agency, and individualized rigor.

This isn’t education for yesterday’s world. This is learning that prepares Promontory students to meet what’s coming — and shape what’s next.

A school is only as strong as the direction it offers.

Mission: To deliver an extraordinary education that sharpens minds, ignites purpose, and connects students to the real world — where what they learn matters, and what they do with it matters more.

A looking glass doesn’t just reflect the present — it reveals depth, direction, and the possibilities ahead. Our vision isn’t a static picture or corporate slogan. It’s a lens we hold up to the past, the present, and the future — shaped by lived experience, sharpened by reflection, and lit by the belief that education should guide students not just toward achievement, but toward meaning.

We remember when education was sacred — when learning meant possibility, not pressure. When classrooms were places of wonder, not compliance.

But somewhere along the way, too much of education became about obedience. Sorting. Test scores. Checking boxes. That’s not the world our students are walking into. And it’s not the world schools are preparing them for.

At The Promontory, our vision is shaped by years of standing in classrooms around the globe — in AP schools, in Cambridge schools, in forgotten schools. We’ve seen what lifts students up, and we’ve seen what deflates them.

The Promontory Academy was born from that lived experience — and built on instinct, practice, and belief. Only later did we find that our path echoed the calls of others: Sinead Bovell, Yong Zhao, Jack Ma, Sal Khan, Sugata Mitra, Sir Ken Robinson, Kiran Bir Sethi, Paulo Freire, and others. Thinkers and reformers from around the world who confirmed what we already knew deep down: the current system stifles, and a better one is not only possible — it’s urgently needed.

We didn’t build this school because of them. But their words strengthened ours. Their work and their experiences validated our approach. They fueled our passion to create the one-of-a-kind school you have found yourself visiting today.

We designed The Promontory for the student who’s ready to thrive — and the one who’s almost given up. We don’t chase old visions of prestige. We chase the future our students will help create.

This is education that helps each student reach their own personal Promontory.

Education must be a living mirror, reflecting who we are, who we wish to become, and the world we hope to shape.

Vision: To become the world’s most relevant school, where students don’t just prepare for the future, they shape it. Where learning is built on purpose, driven by inquiry, and rooted in the urgent needs of our planet and its people.

Our ethos, standing in service of all that we strive for, is designed to ensure that our students leave our program not with a scattered pile of puzzle pieces from different boxes, but with a cohesive, personal, and meaningful portrait of life ahead; one they’ve painted themselves, with real tools, real questions, and real purpose.

We reject busywork. Students’ time is valuable. Every lesson should sharpen skills, expand awareness, or connect to something real.

We honor teachers as professionals. No top-down scripts. No micromanagement. Just intelligent, trusted educators doing the work they’re called to do.

We welcome feedback. From students, from families, from each other. If something’s off, we want to know. And we’ll fix it.

We build for relevance. Our curriculum is alive, built around the real world, not some sanitized textbook version of it. The planet is on fire. Inequity is everywhere. Our students don’t look away.

We don’t do throwaway learning. If it doesn’t connect to real questions, real skills, or real lives, it doesn’t belong here.

We are global. Not as a slogan, but as a practice. Students from every background learning alongside each other with humility and curiosity.

We’re not trying to be everything. We are trying to be the right thing for families who are done with stale school and ready for something that actually matters.

Our values aren’t just words on a page so that visitors will say, ‘Oh, look! They have values!’ Our values show up in everything we do, all day, every day.

Values: We built Promontory to be the kind of place where meaning matters. Where students aren’t racing toward a grade, but growing toward a life that feels worth living. Where curiosity, empathy, and honest effort count for something. We value thoughtfulness, integrity, and the kind of courage it takes to learn deeply, even when it’s hard.

This is a school for people who care — about the world, about each other, and about doing work that actually matters. We don’t ask anyone to be perfect. But we do expect you to show up, ask questions, try again, and keep moving forward with purpose.

That’s the kind of culture we believe in. That’s what we mean by values.

Grades, grades, everywhere a grade
Killing creativity, breaking my mind
Do this, don’t do that
Don’t you want the grades?

We’ve all seen it — a single letter handed out every quarter, for each siloed subject, stamped onto a report card like it tells the full story. Then the assignments disappear, the feedback fades, and we’re left pretending that “B+” or “A-” means something lasting. We’re not interested in that.

At Promontory, we don’t give traditional grades. We’ve seen the limits of that system. Instead, we use something better: GBT points, part of our Global Brain Trust model. This is our way of recognizing real, meaningful work — the kind that stays with you.

Students choose their own level of challenge across four tiers, working on projects that matter to them. Through teacher mentorship and detailed feedback, they develop work they’re proud of, and move their best pieces into a living digital portfolio we call the DigiMag.

GBT points aren’t handed out like candy — they’re earned through thought, effort, and growth. Everything is scored against a clear rubric, so students know where they stand and where they’re heading. Over time, those points build toward something real: the possibility of graduating with the rare distinction of being named a Promontory Academy Global Brain Trust Scholar.

At The Promontory Academy, learning doesn’t end with submission; it begins with reflection, revision, and growth. Our asynchronous model is powered by a robust system of guidance, mentoring, and intentional feedback loops that foster deep thinking and sustained progress.

Students are supported by a global team of experienced, forward-thinking educators who are:

• Fluent in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Trained in Global Competence & Sustainability (GC&S) frameworks
• Skilled at guiding students through Living Constellations and Defense of Learning presentations

Every learner benefits from structured, monitored pathways of communication:

• Peer-to-peer interaction spaces to promote collaboration and shared insight
• Teacher-to-student channels, offering personalized, constructive guidance
• Parent-to-school communication that reinforces trust and transparency

Depending on the needs of the moment, feedback may be delivered via:

• Short-form video responses
• Targeted direct messages (DMs)
• Personalized email feedback

These aren’t one-off exchanges — they are part of a feedback loop model, where students analyze their own work, receive input, refine their ideas, and resubmit when appropriate. This back-and-forth builds resilience, clarity of thought, and a deeper sense of academic ownership.

Promontory students also benefit from a Guest Speaker Series, where aligned global experts lead virtual seminars. Students in compatible time zones may join live; all sessions are recorded and uploaded for later access. These talks are part inspiration, part mentoring — connecting learners directly to today’s thought leaders.

Finally, educators assign Global Brain Trust (GBT) points after reviewing student output and interaction — reinforcing mastery, metacognition, and meaningful growth.

This is how we scale mentorship and authentic feedback — not as a service, but as a system.