What happens during the first week at Embark Center? Students reconnect, create classes, learn how Community Meeting and conflict resolution work, explore downtown Leesburg, and begin shaping the year together.

Conventional schools still train students for a world that no longer exists. Employers today prize creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking — yet school continues to reward obedience and compliance. Democratic education bridges that gap by preparing young people to live meaningful lives now while developing the skills our changing world truly needs: adaptability, empathy, self-direction, and shared responsibility.