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What makes Pioneer Springs different? 

Pioneer Springs Community School is a public K-12  school serving more than 500 students.  We value small class sizes, collaboration with  parents, learning both in and out of the classroom, and personalized instruction.  As a public, tuition-free charter school, PSCS is driven by its mission which is to provide a hands-on learning experience guided by a cohesive curriculum integrating nature and supported by an active community of parents and teachers.  Read on to take a tour of our mission in action:  

hands-on,  Project-Based learning

• Students engage in open-ended projects that allow for a variety of expressions and outcomes.
• Skills are developed and layered toward mastery of a concept
• Projects are collaborative which allow for the development of social skills

A Cohesive Curriculum

As a tuition free, nature-based, public charter school, our rigorous curriculum follows guidelines set by the state of North Carolina. The difference at Pioneer Springs is how these core subjects come alive for our students. Core concepts are presented in integrated hands-on, project based, and immersive experiences.  Connections between disciplines are highlighted and learning is set in a compelling real-world context.
Students learn through experiences such as actual archeological digs, math through archery, and environmental science through survival challenges.

Nature Integration

Cultivating a meaningful, lifelong connection to the natural world grounds students, encourages the kind of healthy risk-taking that results in meaningful learning, and allows kids an opportunity to discover that the wide world outside is not a place to be afraid of, but a place of discovery and growth. ​
 Every student at Pioneer Springs Community School has the opportunity to participate in experiential nature based adventures to kick off the school year and an capstone experience as a celebration in the Spring.