The Franklin School

The foundation of the new Franklin School opening in Jersey City in fall 2022 dates back to 1872.

But its high school pedagogy is anything but dated. “We’re delighted to bring together the latest thinking, expert educators and partners in the vibrant Jersey City community to launch the new Franklin, laying the foundation for students to chart their own course to top-tier colleges and universities,” says Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn.

The forefather of today’s Franklin was founded in New York City nearly 150 years ago. When Dr. M.C. Spahn became Franklin’s headmaster in 1950, he started a three-generation family tradition of educational excellence. His son, Chancellor Stephen Spahn, has spearheaded Franklin affiliate, Dwight School in New York, since 1967 and is the longest-serving head of an independent school in the U.S. He and his son, Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn, have expanded Dwight globally, with campuses in London, Seoul, Shanghai, Dubai and Dwight Global Online School—ranked by Newsweek as the second-best online high school in the U.S.

APPLIED LEARNING BY DOING

A Franklin education prioritizes applied learning—meaning learning by doing.

Students pursue their own interests with a hands-on curriculum that includes design and tech courses, art, digital design and fabrication, programming, robotics, architecture and more in Franklin’s state-of-the-art Makerspace.

The school will emphasize technology as a tool for exploration and invention, and each student will develop a “passion project” in an incubator-style setup. There will also be a range of Advanced Placement, elective and micro-courses introducing students to different career paths, clubs and after-school activities.

AGENCY OVER THEIR FUTURE

The school’s tagline, “Educating Innovators—Shaping the Future,” speaks to Franklin’s forward-thinking curriculum.

“We’re dedicated to empowering students to pursue their passions, develop real-world readiness, and have agency over their future,” Blake Spahn says. “We believe that applied learning is the key to making this vision a reality, so our curriculum, which sets Franklin apart from other high schools, is designed to provide students with as many hands-on, experiential learning opportunities as possible within and beyond the classroom. Our graduates will venture into the world ready to succeed as innovators and socially responsible global leaders.”