From elite athletes and travelling families to gifted and accelerated learners, some teenagers are living lives that do not fit neatly into a traditional school schedule. Schools like ours are beginning to rethink what education can look like so students no longer have to choose between their passions and their academic goals.
At 6am, some Calgary teenagers are already deep into their day.
They might be at the rink, the barn, the gym, or the studio, training before school even begins. Others are moving quickly through academic material, finishing work in half the time because their minds move fast and they are always eager to learn more.
Many of these students share something else in common. They are gifted, advanced, or highly motivated learners whose curiosity and drive do not always fit comfortably within a traditional school structure.
Over the years, as a school leader, I have had many conversations with families navigating this reality. Parents want their children to pursue their passions, whether that is elite sport or performance, advanced academics, or adventurous travel, while also receiving a strong education that prepares them for university and beyond.
It occurred to me recently that we do not talk enough about the invisible load carried by many of these students. High-achieving students are often deeply, sometimes overwhelmingly, committed to the futures they imagine for themselves. In the same week I might speak with a student balancing an accelerated course load for competitive post-secondary pathways, another training at an elite athletic level that involves significant time, energy, and travel, and another managing serious health challenges within their family, all while also navigating the normal, yet very real, emotional and developmental realities of being a teenager.
Calgary is full of teenagers whose busy lives extend far beyond school walls. Increasingly, many families believe that following their teen’s passions is just as important as academic pursuits. As a parent of two teens myself, I understand how rewarding it is to watch their enthusiasm and commitment grow, along with the confidence, discipline, and resilience these experiences can build.
I also know that layered on top of this are long nights, complex schedules, and the pressure many of these young people quietly place on themselves. They work hard to show up prepared and composed while carrying far more than most adults realize.
The challenge for parents and educators is finding innovative ways to support both the ambition and the well-being of these students, while still helping them succeed within the traditional education systems that continue to shape their post-secondary futures.
For many parents, the goal is to keep as many doors open as possible while their teens explore their passions and experience a full and well-rounded life.
A New Kind of High School Experience
Today, technology is helping make that possible. Alternative learning models allow students to remain connected to strong academic programs while creating space for the demanding pursuits that shape their lives outside the classroom.
I currently serve as principal of an innovative program offering both fully online and hybrid learning pathways. Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School’s (STS’s) STAND Online school and STS Flex programs are examples of how schools are beginning to respond to the needs of driven high school students whose lives do not fit neatly into a traditional timetable.
In our STS Flex program, students can be on campus and part of the school community as much or as little as their schedules allow. Some students spend significant time on campus using flexible drop-in spaces for independent study, small-group collaboration, or additional support from their teachers. Others balance their time between campus courses and remote learning depending on their training schedules, travel, or other commitments.
Students remain connected to excellent teachers who hold strong academic expectations while also providing the flexibility needed to support busy lives. They can access drop-in work blocks, remote tutorials, and teacher support while travelling or training, ensuring that connection continues even when they are away from campus. If their schedules allow, they can try out for school sports teams, clubs, co-curricular activities, theatre productions, band, and option classes on-campus.
STS Flex students also have access to unique learning opportunities that extend beyond the traditional school timetable. Our changemaker design program is a full day devoted to project-based learning focused on real-world challenges and community impact. Students work collaboratively, explore creative solutions, and develop skills in leadership, empathy, technology, design-thinking, and innovation.
This semester, students are working with two individuals, one child and one young adult, who live with physical differences. The students began by asking: what would make your life better? From there, they are using the changemaker design cycle to research, prototype, and design assistive devices that could help improve everyday life.
Wellness classes are also built into the program, recognizing that balance and personal well-being are essential for students managing ambitious schedules.
Flexible pacing is another important part of the model. Students can complete much of their online learning asynchronously, choosing where and when they work. Courses may be completed in quarter, semester, or year-long formats depending on what works best for the student and their schedule.
For an advanced or gifted learner, this might mean accelerating through certain courses or even completing entire grades ahead of schedule. For others, the traditional semester pacing still works best, but flexibility allows them to train in the mornings and focus on schoolwork in the evenings or weekends.
For an elite athlete, performer, or world traveller, it may mean working steadily throughout the year, studying more intensely during quieter periods and easing the academic load during demanding training or travel seasons.
At Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, we believe that flexibility does not mean lowering expectations. In many ways, programs like ours ask more of students. With greater freedom comes greater responsibility. Students develop strong self-motivation, independence, time management skills, and a deep sense of ownership over their learning.
Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is recognize the load these young people are carrying and create just enough flexibility so they do not have to choose between who they are today and who they hope to become tomorrow.
When the environment is right, something remarkable happens: busy lives and bright minds flourish together.
Kristi Kraychy, B.Ed., M.Ed., is Principal of STAND, an innovative online and flexible hybrid high school connected to Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS). An experienced educator and school leader, she has spent more than twenty years working with students whose curiosity, talents, and ambitions do not always fit traditional models of schooling.
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