Christopher Cardella joined the One Stone lab school as a young man carrying the weight of an extremely difficult childhood. He had witnessed addiction, violence, and instability at home and reflected “I kept accelerating towards my eventual demise without care. I accepted that I would die before I got out of high school, and felt comfort in that.” When he arrived he was skeptical that school could be anything more than a box to check before the real world. Still, he brought a wide range of interests, from environmentalism to social issues like substance abuse, which would fuel his growth at One Stone.
Chris’s first immersive camping trip to Yellow Pine opened his eyes to complex environmental issues and became the anchor for his learning. He threw himself into additional opportunities with remarkable agency: he testified at a Northwest Power and Conservation Council hearing on salmon restoration, led outdoor trips, and spent summers honing wilderness skills with the Idaho Conservation Corps. Despite becoming homeless at age seventeen, Chris persisted, designing projects that reflected his passions, working through challenges, and reflecting on his growth. Where he felt powerless at home, he gained agency through newfound interests and opportunities.
Today, Chris is studying the thermal tolerance of alpine plants at the University of Montana, for which he recently earned a NASA research grant. His path was shaped by opportunities for true ownership of his learning. What transforms the learner experience into one that is truly student-driven is creating space to fail forward, nurture curiosity, and embrace passions. It is in this environment of trust, support, and freedom that students like Chris authentically and agentically grow.
One Stone is a nonprofit organization designed and driven by students for students. Founded in 2008, it launched its independent high school in 2016. There are no grades, bells, teachers, or set schedules. Students never have to raise their hand to speak or ask permission to use the bathroom. Our purpose is simple: we believe in the power of students.
Eighty percent of the students who enter One Stone report that they had not previously received a personalized education. They report, “Most of the classes I was forced into, I never got a freedom of choice. Most importantly, I never had a voice or a way of expressing my knowledge without feeling belittled.” Nearly 70% of teens face pressure to get good grades, adding up to an alarmingly high number of stressed-out students who are anxious about their academic and professional futures, and lacking autonomy to design their path.
At One Stone, we have learned that agency is not just a pedagogical concept; it is a lived experience. One of the trailblazing students at One Stone, Jared Perkins, expressed this concept clearly: “Doing the thing is infinitely better than learning about doing the thing.” Rather than focusing on GPA, students engage in reflection, self-assessment, and requesting feedback. Student agency isn’t supplemental, it’s the design principle for relevant education. The shift from compliance to growth isn’t just theoretical, it’s shown in how students approach their learning. Sophie Gunther, a current student and One Stone Board member, reflects, “The BLOB is a great outlet for meaningful conversation and soul searching. It starts conversations about risk taking, passion, grit, and more,” and, “On a personal level, it pushes you to look into the process of how and why you do work and learn.”
A key tool for actualizing this is One Stone’s Growth Framework, a research-backed Portrait of a Graduate and assessment system designed to empower growth in durable and disciplinary skills. These skills, such as collaboration, communication, and management, provide relevance and self-direction. Every student graduates with a learner record (the “Growth Transcript”) representing their goals and growth in durable skills and shaped by how they collaborate with mentors, peers, and coaches. The mark of an accurate Growth Transcript is that it looks more like a learner fingerprint – one of a kind and showing an authentic picture of growth.
In practice, the Growth Transcript translates into students taking the lead on projects, designing schedules, reflecting on progress, and applying learning in professional contexts with community partners. Data from 2025 One Stone graduates illustrate the impact: 100% report having experienced real-world opportunities that made learning relevant. Ninety-seven percent of all One Stone graduates agree they have learned how to explore their passions and feel equipped with the tools and skills to pursue those passions beyond high school.
These skills grow and translate into college and the workforce. Our oldest alumni report: “[One Stone] helped me build tools to understand myself, how to set goals, and core values. While I have changed as a person, starting to build that toolbox of skills has helped me be open to pivots in my career and personal life.”
These outcomes are not accidents of personality or privilege. At Bostonia Global, a One Stone partner public charter school in El Cajon, California, 80% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch, are English language learners, or are part of the foster care system. Eighty-five percent of Bostonia students report stronger relevance and connection between their strengths and schoolwork after working on goals and growth in durable skills for a year. A high school senior from Bostonia Global stated, “I used to think my life was already decided for me, like I had no choice but to follow a path someone else set for me. But now, I see my Growth Transcript, and I see myself, my progress, my potential, my story. It makes me feel like I belong, like I can shape my own future.”
At Duquesne Middle School, a One Stone partner public school with 100% free or reduced lunch, 77% of students report that they understand how the skills in their Bold Learning Objectives, including self-awareness, adaptability, and ownership, apply beyond high school. An eighth grader at Duquesne reflected, “Career awareness is more than just picking a job – it’s about understanding our passions, strengths, and values […] The BLOB will measure my growth in choosing my own path towards a career that suits me.”
Yet surveys highlight a persistent gap. Four out of five hiring managers (84%) agree that most high school students are not prepared to enter the workforce (Swanek, 2025). To prepare students for real-world experiences we must co-create ecosystems that promote agency. Students need open doors to engage deeply with professional environments, so that learning feels relevant today and prepares them for tomorrow.
Building systems that honor student voice and connect learning to real-world experiences builds agency. When student learning reflects their passions, they experience deeper engagement, develop durable skills, and gain the confidence to act with purpose. Relationships and continuous feedback fuel this agency, creating a dynamic where learners feel empowered, supported, and motivated to contribute meaningfully because their voice matters.
At One Stone, we’ve seen that when students lead, learning follows. The courage and creativity of students like Chris prove that education works best when it’s driven by students. We must lean in, pay attention, and ensure every student has the chance to lead their own learning.
Parker, Kim, and Kiley Hurst. “Pressures Teens Are Facing.” Pew Research Center, 13 Mar. 2025, www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2025/03/13/pressures-teens-are-facing/
Swanek, Thaddeus. Insights from Hiring Managers on Entry-Level Workforce Preparedness. U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 17 Sept. 2025, https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/new-hire-readiness-report-2025.