School should liberate the humanity in all of us so we can contribute to our communities. Currently, school manages humanity for the function of labor.

Our Culture

The DSX culture of learning is built from a space that encourages people to let their actions do the talking. To do this we establish a culture of consistent, deep self-awareness through the practice of equity design. Through this lens of personal responsibility and understanding of oneself, before we speak or act - we ask ourselves "what is my intent?" With this practice in place, systematically the DSX community will create a sincere form of communication that earns trust through our actions over time. This trust will build a culture of courage to be vulnerable, creative, equitable, and to learn and give of our whole selves. (David Clifford and Emily Jonas)

the 8 pillars of the DSX

culture of belonging + becoming

Love: Love of self and love of others. The former is necessary to then be able to empathize with and be “in service” to/with others. (Randy Ching and David Clifford)

Optimism: Maintaining a discerning positive attitude through good times and bad (Make School) and through the hard work of difficult conversations, the creative process, self discovery and ultimately, learning.

Trust: Relational trust is the glue in equity-centered design work. When working across difference on difficult challenges, teams must invest in developing emotional trust in order to authentically collaborate. If we are comfortable identifying and processing emotions with our team, we create opportunities for healing and prevent distortion of our work (Liberatory Design). Trust in others that they want to be and bring their very best. Give trust to earn trust.

Equity: Developing an equitable and pluralistic learning stance that builds from the identities and capacities of our students, their families and our staff, toward a more just and healthy community by addressing power and privilege created by systems like patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism (Jason Baeten + Dana Rosenberg + David Clifford @ebsfb).

Creativity: The vulnerable and courageous skill of being "creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers...artists, designers, storyteller, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers." -Daniel Pink. We believe everyone has the capacity and courage to be creative.

Purpose: When you feel a sense of purpose, that you belong to something greater than you and that you contribute, you feel alive and grounded on this planet. When you feel alive and grounded, you want others to feel the same. When designing and building relationships, connections or projects, always ask yourself and the team, "Why are we doing this? What is the purpose? And what might my/impact be?"

Build: Build ideas, build skills, build connections, build character, build objects, build relationships, build purpose in yourself and in others.

You: You are DSX. Your story is DSX. Your strengths and skills make DSX great. Your passions will be contagious.

Stanford d.fellows, Susan Dix-Lyons, Jason Mayden, David Clifford, Tim Shriver and Michael Tubbs writing appreciations on each other's superhero capes.

In solidarity, our student, our catalysts, our families and our community will build an ecosystem of belonging and becoming to infect the learning gene in all of us.

Our “Campus”

The vision for our learning sites and schedules are built from and adaptive for the need to build X-shaped humans anywhere on the planet.

Here is how time and space have developed from this design vision to build X-shaped humans.