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The Open Classroom is an innovative school that invites children, teachers and parents to collaborate as a community that inspires and celebrates the adventure of learning. The OC was granted Charter status by the Salt Lake City School District beginning in 2006. Our operations look very similar to a neighborhood school, but charter status allows us additional autonomy to focus on teaching and learning in accordance with our philosophy. The OC teachers advance the core curriculum outlined by the state. The difference between the OC and traditional programs is in the way we learn. We believe that students learn most effectively when they are immersed in meaningful authentic learning experiences where they can: practice self reliance, assume responsibility for their own learning, develop positive self-esteem and confidence, experience decision-making and problem-solving opportunities, learn cooperatively in multi-aged settings, and be supported by active parental participation and involvement in classroom and program operation. Blended grade classrooms are an important element in our school. Educational research shows that multi-aged learning environments facilitate individualized instruction where teachers focus on each student’s needs rather than grade level expectations. They also broaden the social peer group for children, offering a wider possibility of friendship choices. Other benefits of multi-aged classrooms: Model a family setting, encouraging a strong sense of community; Allow children to teach and learn from each other; Enable a teacher to have some children for more than one year, allowing a seamless continuation of the working/teaching relationship.