Innovations - Seattle Academy The Hub Innovations The Innovations Department at Seattle Academy equips students with the skills needed for success in today’s professional careers and future by preparing them to confidently face challenges. By emphasizing technological literacy, creative problem-solving, and adaptability, the department fosters critical traits such as resilience, flexibility, and curiosity. Students begin with foundational courses in Financial Literacy Computational Thinking , and Entrepreneurship & Design , which form the keystone of their learning experience. As they progress, they can explore electives in programming, entrepreneurship, and engineering, engaging in hands-on, real-world projects that encourage innovation and empathy-driven solutions. The coursework culminates in the Senior Project capstone, where students apply their knowledge in real-world internships, bridging the gap between classroom learning and practical application. MEET THE INNOVATIONS FACULTY Middle School To help students uncover their passions and strengths, we offer a diverse range of courses in Middle School. The Innovations elective sequence begins in 6th grade with Leadership, Design Thinking 6, and Computational Thinking 6. In 7th grade, students continue with Design Thinking 7, and in 8th grade, they take Financial Literacy and Computational Thinking 8. MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM GUIDE Upper School We seek to provide all upper school students with a foundational experience in computational thinking, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship and design before they decide to broaden or deepen their interests. Following the foundation courses, each student chooses 3 additional credits to meet the graduation requirement. Students can take a variety of courses or delve deeply into a specific area of study. Upper School Curriculum Guide Computational Thinking Given technology’s ever-present role in our lives, it is essential for students to develop the ability to use and understand those technologies. Computational Thinking involves solving a range of problems like a computer scientist, identifying possible solutions to a particular problem, and learning to code. Entrepreneurship & Design In Entrepreneurship & Design courses, students use creativity and practical intelligence to solve emerging problems. With industry input, we implement an evolving curriculum which provides students the most up-to-date skills necessary to skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing professional landscape. Financial Literacy We prepare our students to be responsible financial citizens with a foundation in financial literacy and the tools to further explore and understand their financial choices. Students learn the power of financial planning, discuss financial principles and ethics, and practice wise decisions through analyzing opportunity cost. Business Plan Competition The Entrepreneurship Club hosts an annual competition where student teams create a full-fledged business idea including a name, logo, marketing strategy, analysis of competitors, and a financial plan. The competition culminates in the teams delivering a seven-minute pitch to a panel of judges. INNOVATIONS SAAS SUMMITS How do these classes prepare students for college and life? If my child transfers to SAAS after 6th grade and hasn’t taken any computer science classes, will they succeed in the 8th grade class? If my child has a lot of experience with programming, can my child opt out of the computational thinking requirement? Is there robotics at SAAS? Are there any extracurricular activities where students can further explore financial topics? Innovations is a department that seeks to prepare kids with the skills to meet the challenges of the unknown future. Based on current research and conversations with industry professionals about skills they wish their young employees exhibited more of, our innovations courses are designed to teach students soft skills,” such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. At SAAS believe that in order for our graduates to match or exceed the pave of change in the world, one must be proficient in these essential skills. Our combination of Computational Thinking, Entrepreneurship & Design, and Financial Literacy courses are specifically geared towards preparing students for an ever-changing professional landscape. We do not know the jobs of the future, but we hope to provide students with the tools to deal with any obstacle or opportunity they may encounter. To do this, we focus on skills that emphasize learning “how to learn” instead of “what to learn.” While Computational Thinking 8 will build upon the concepts explored in Computational Thinking 6, teachers design the curricula to be accessible to all learners, both beginners and students who are more experienced in the subject matter.  Because our goal is not to have students master a programming language, the teachers can adjust elements of each unit so that every student can be successful and progress in their ability to think and problem solve like a computer scientist. In Middle School, we believe it is essential for all students to develop their computational thinking skills, regardless of their proficiency with computers or programming. The teachers will be able to adjust elements of the curriculum to build upon students’ prior knowledge and experience. In high school, students will have more course options and must fulfill the graduation requirement with one of these courses. You can reach out to your child’s advisor or an academic dean to discuss your child’s particular needs. Yes! Both the middle and upper school have robotics clubs that take place after school. The upper school robotics team participates in FIRST Robotics as well as MATE underwater robotics in the winter and spring. The Seattle Academy Entrepreneurship Club hosts an annual Business Plan Competition since 2022. It is a hackathon-style competition where students are given information pertaining to a theme at the start of the event as well as some basic requirements. The teams had two and a half hours to create a full-fledged business idea including a name, logo, marketing strategy, analysis of competitors, and a financial plan. The competition culminated in the teams delivering a seven-minute pitch to a panel of judges.