"One of the best parts of my Baxter experience was Flex Friday. The opportunity to work on a long-term project each year was an invaluable learning experience."

- HARMONI LARRABEE, CLASS OF 2019

WHAT IS FLEX FRIDAY?

Baxter dedicates twenty percent of the week to student-managed, long-term projects that are relevant to each student’s interests and goals. Student teams identify a real-world problem, define how they might solve it, pitch their solution to a faculty review board, network with outside experts, and then get to work.

Some students may choose to work in a large group to develop an experimental model for a fish hatchery, others may want to work individually on developing a database front-end with a local company.

The Process:

Through Flex Friday, Baxter provides students the freedom to take ownership of long-term projects that bring real-world learning to life. Working independently or in teams, students are encouraged to identify relevant issues, develop actionable solutions, and refine their ideas through an iterative process.

The key elements of these projects include:

  1. Identifying a ProbleM

    • Students choose a real-world issue that resonates with them, allowing them to engage in a subject they're passionate about.

  2. Defining a Solution

    • Students work collaboratively to design a solution that addresses the identified problem.

  3. Pitching to a Faculty Review Board

    • After developing their ideas, students present their proposed solutions to a faculty review board for feedback and approval. This simulates real-world pitching scenarios and encourages professional communication skills.

  4. Networking with Experts

    • Students can consult and collaborate with outside experts, providing them with industry insights and feedback that further enhance their project.

  5. Progress Presentations

    • Regular updates ensure accountability and provide opportunities to refine ideas based on feedback from peers and faculty.

  6. Final Public Presentation

    • At the end of the year, students deliver a polished presentation, showcasing their solutions to a live audience of guests and peers, which builds confidence and professional presentation skills.

This process not only enhances academic learning but also equips students with valuable problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills, all while allowing them to explore their individual passions in a meaningful way.

"I think Flex Friday prepared me for post-grad life more than most people, I felt like college was just content learning but I had a real taste of how to develop ideas and projects which is what most of my jobs have been about."

- Kelsey Meyer, CLASS OF 2017

COLLABORATION

Groups of students are able to coalesce around projects of common interest and work collaboratively without scheduling difficulties.

Teachers, freed from other teaching obligations, are able to focus on advising students as they work through their projects, assisting with skill development and making sure they ask the right questions, follow through on their work plans and collaborate effectively within work groups.

PERSEVERANCE

Flex Friday fosters the skills needed to succeed in the real world; these skills require time, responsibility, and creativity; and they are found outside of the standard high school curriculum.

Finding student collaborators, and working with a teacher, students prepare a formal proposal describing the project details. Schedules, finances, outcomes, and connections to learning are all integral parts of that proposal.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Flex Friday projects must meet an identified community need. Collaboration with community partners is essential to the Flex Friday process.

How can youR Organization help?

  • Be a mentor: Share your expertise with students interested in learning more about the work you do.

  • Sponsor an intern: Our internship program is designed around students creating “deliverables” for partnering organizations.

  • Partner with us: Flex Friday flagship projects use teams of students to extend research and development with industry partners.

Contact us at front.office@baxter-academy.org if you are interested in collaborating with our students.

Flex Friday Digital Exhibitions

Baxter Academy celebrates the work, collaboration, innovation, creativity, and perseverance of our students every year through Flex Friday Celebration Days. Students showcase their work in their cluster work groups and through school-wide exhibitions and presentations. Below, you can see the digital exhibitions of some of the amazing work Baxter students have produced in Flex Friday throughout the years.