Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Aligning with the Saddle River Day School’s mission to encourage students to be “intellectual risk takers” and “caring and ethical contributors to society," the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, works to enhance our academic environment with meaningful projects and programs that encourage students to examine issues in the community and the world, and to see these issues as opportunities for innovation, design and entrepreneurship. It allows for more project based, student centered learning and cross-divisional collaboration in the classroom. It enhances popular applied learning courses and programs already in place such as Engineering and Design, Graphic Design, Entrepreneurship, Robotics, Digital Citizenship, Literacy and Fluency, and creates new programs and curriculum that help prepare students to succeed and thrive in life. 

At its outset, the center’s new programs and curriculum will include: 

  • Competitive design club: We will be teaming up with Odyssey of the Mind and preparing for their regional design competition in February. SRDS will enter 3 teams - one from each division (LS,MS,US).  Team members will be developing skills such as critical thinking, creative problem solving and risk assessment as they work together to take on this year’s challenges.
  • A sustainability program: 10th graders will each spend a trimester discussing sustainability issues locally and globally.  Assembly programs about the UN sustainability goals will take place throughout the school year.
  • Weekend and evening community innovation and design boot camps:  Families will be invited to participate in community events that encourage team building and innovation (our launch night is scheduled for 10/10).
  • Internal and external entrepreneurship opportunities: we will work to develop a database of mentors and speakers that we can reach out for opportunities that benefit our students.
  • TREP$: 8th grade students will be participating in this empowering entrepreneurship program. With the help of the RebelLeaders they will be learning how to launching a business during their workshop time and and presenting their business ideas at a TREP$ marketplace in the spring.
  • Monthly design challenges: Monthly design challenges will be run during assembly time to involve the community in design thinking, team building  and problem solving activities.
  • Integration of design thinking and technology into the current curriculum: the team will be working with SRDS faculty to integrate more innovation and technology into the classroom.  

Interested in volunteering with the SRDS Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship?  There are numerous ways to work with our students:

  • Arrange a field trip to your business or a company
  • Guest teach a class
  • Skype with a class
  • Offer internships or career day placements

Click here for more information and to complete the volunteer form
 

Students in Action