Walking into Brightworks could be a shock for helicopter parents. The K-12 school is alive with invention, autonomy and what founder Gever Tulley calls "the energy of a big multi-generational family household." Therefore there are no traditional grades or classes at Brightworks. Students are grouped into "bands" by interest and maturity, not by age. There are no teachers " just "collaborators," and parents are invited to visit and join as they please. Agency is woven into every part of Brightworks' ecosystem. Students move freely through the buildings. "The first instinct can't be, 'Where are you supposed to be?'" Tulley explains. "You have to assume they're on a mission " maybe to grab a wrench from the shop or to take a walk. That's part of the culture here." Students can't hide behind textbooks or screens; each semester, they must propose, plan and find collaborators for their own project " and eventually present it to the entire school, known as the "Brightworks family." Tulley believes this kind of learning " driven by curiosity " pays off for life: "We see students as heroes on their own journey." His aim is also to prepare kids for the future. "Twenty years from now, every industry will need small teams of highly specialized people solving complex problems," he says " people who can also communicate and collaborate well. Brightworks graduates have been accepted at top-tier universities, including Harvard.