Learning Opportunities

The STEAM program is grounded in hands-on, collaborative learning that empowers students to design, create, and explore advanced technologies together. Rooted in community, the program fosters open, inclusive spaces where diverse perspectives fuel innovation and creativity. By connecting ideas across science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, students develop imaginative solutions to real-world challenges. Embracing iteration, risk-taking, and responsible tool use, STEAM encourages bold thinking, learning from mistakes, and continual growth in the pursuit of meaningful work.

The mission of Global Online Academy (GOA) is to reimagine learning to enable students to thrive in a globally networked society. GOA provides a positive, interactive, and academically rigorous environment for students to learn. We offer courses that connect students to topics they care about, and we offer a network that connects students to peers as passionate as they are.

Any GOA course taken during a student’s time in Grades 9-12 (including summers) will be listed on the student’s Windward transcript, and the grade earned will be included in the Windward GPA.

Through creative expression, students are able to reflect on their experiences and find their voices. With the opportunities and challenges of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, it is more important than ever to give students opportunities to develop their unique ideas. In support of our Core Competency to help students become Effective Communicators, this program unites creative writing, multimedia presentations, oral presentations (including speech and debate), and written expression in the visual and performing arts. Students may join on a yearly basis beginning in ninth grade, and in recognition for additional coursework and outside of the classroom learning, they receive recognition on their transcript.

Windward’s Speech & Debate program helps students develop the confidence, clarity, and critical thinking needed to communicate effectively. Beginning in Middle School and continuing through Upper School, students learn how to research complex topics, evaluate multiple perspectives, and present well-reasoned arguments with poise.

Through coursework and the Speech & Debate Club, students refine their public speaking, argumentation, and listening skills while engaging in thoughtful discussion of contemporary issues. Many students also participate in tournaments through the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA), connecting with a broader community of young speakers and debaters across the region.

The Windward Omnicats are a robotics team that believes in building a great robot independently while still having fun. We are a close-knit team of friends and companions who aspire to build robots not just for FRC, but for the enhancement of our community as a whole.

At Windward, we define entrepreneurship in the same way as the World Economic Forum: “a process that results in creativity, innovation and growth. Innovative entrepreneurs come in all shapes and forms; its benefits are not limited to startups, innovative ventures, and new jobs. Entrepreneurship refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action and is therefore a key competence for all” (World Economic Forum, quoted in Zhao, 2012, Page 3).

The Entrepreneurship program seeks to inspire an entrepreneurial spirit in students. It is designed to raise students’ confidence while at the same time developing mental fortitude and flexibility. It also seeks to present students with real world experience and opportunities at solving difficult problems through creative thinking.

Windward School strives to prepare our students for effective participation in the global community. Through academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular opportunities to learn about different perspectives and cultures, students will utilize 21st-century skills, such as inquiry, collaboration, communication, leadership, and problem-solving. In doing so, Windward ensures it remains a welcoming and inclusive community whose graduates are knowledgeable, compassionate, and prepared citizens of the world.