Challenging problem or question
Complex, open-ended, worth investigating.
How we learn
Our pedagogy
The curriculum is built around genuine problems, real community partners, and outcomes well beyond the classroom. Students do not simulate learning. They do the work.
Gold Standard PBL · IB-aligned · Dual language
A holistic, living curriculum
SOL holds a high academic bar in math, reading, and writing, taught through real projects rather than worksheets. Every subject connects to the whole child and the whole world.
That curriculum is built on Project-Based Learning: an extended investigation into a real, complex problem. At SOL, PBL is the architecture of the school year. Students work with genuine stakeholders and present to public audiences.
“Students demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience. As a result, they develop deep content knowledge as well as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills.”
PBLWorks · Buck Institute for Education
Academics, studios, and electives
Core
Enrichment
Electives
Hands-on equestrian care and riding, teaching patience and responsibility.
Water safety and swim technique in Guanacaste's ocean and pools.
Skate PE at the local skate park, building balance and courage.
Sketching, sewing, and garment construction from concept to wearable design.
An extended studio track for students ready to go deeper into technique.
Students research, write, and deliver their own talks on ideas that matter to them.
Student-run photography, layout, writing, and editing of a real annual publication.
Woodworking and hands-on building, turning tools into finished projects.
Team play, strategy, and fitness on the field.
Team sport skills, strategy, and friendly competition on the court.
Nutrition, body awareness, and wellbeing, treated as foundational rather than an afterthought.
Composting, plant systems, and regenerative design applied to the SOL campus.
Plant medicine, fermentation, and kombucha brewing rooted in traditional knowledge.
Building self-awareness, empathy, and healthy relationship skills through explicit practice.
Designing, building, and selling real products, from business planning to production and marketing.
Sustainable construction, survival skills, and hands-on DIY problem-solving.
Movement, fitness, and discipline, from traditional PE to jiu jitsu and the skate park.
Painting, drawing, and mixed media as tools for observation and self-expression.
Instruments, songwriting, and ensemble play, for expression and emotional regulation.
Full stage productions, written, built, and performed by students.
Reading, writing, and discussion built around real texts and published student work.
Grammar, literature, and composition in Spanish for native and non-native speakers alike.
History and culture explored through inquiry, connecting the past to issues students care about now.
Number sense, algebra, and geometry taught with rigor, then applied to real measurements and builds.
Ecology and earth science taught on a working farm, from soil to the coral reef.
SOL
How we design projects
The Gold Standard
Every SOL project is built on the seven design elements of Gold Standard PBL, developed by PBLWorks and the Buck Institute for Education. These are not checkboxes. They are the conditions that make learning genuinely transformative, moving in a continuous cycle that closes with student reflection before the next project begins.
1
Challenging problem or question
Complex, open-ended, worth investigating.
2
Sustained inquiry
Weeks of research and revision.
3
Student voice and choice
Real agency, real ownership.
4
Authenticity
Real context, real audience.
5
Critique and revision
Feedback before going public.
6
Public product
Shared with a real audience.
7
Reflection
Looking back, learning forward.
Gold Standard
PBL
PBL
Seven design elements. One continuous cycle.
Sustained inquiry
Weeks of research and revision.
Student voice and choice
Real agency, real ownership.
Authenticity
Real context, real audience.
Critique and revision
Feedback before going public.
Public product
Shared with a real audience.
Reflection
Looking back, learning forward.
The Reggio Emilia approach
It shapes Margays and Tigrillos: learning emerges from inquiry, relationships, and the living campus. The environment is the third teacher.
Every child has a place here
Margays
Early childhood · Ages 2–3
Tigrillos
Preschool · Ages 3–4
Jaguarundis
K & Grade 1 · Ages 5–7
Ocelotes
Grades 2–3
Panteras
Grades 4–5
Pumas
Grades 6–8
Jaguares
Grades 9–10
IB Balam
Grades 11–12
What students build
Real projects with real community partners.
