A direction a student
discovers and earns.
A Pathway of Purpose is not a track assigned to a student. It is a direction that emerges from four years of real inquiry, self-directed study, mentorship, and the Woodlawn Arc. ‘Blazers who earn a Pathway carry it on their diploma as a record of what they chose to build.
Purpose built by the
student who pursues it.
A Pathway of Purpose is not a major, a track, or a preset schedule of courses. It is a designation a ‘Blazer earns by exceeding standard graduation requirements in a chosen domain, building depth through coursework, internship, mentorship, and the Senior Capstone.
Students who earn a Pathway designation have their Pathway recorded on their diploma: a permanent record of what they chose to build and why. The result is an application, an interview, and a college essay that tells a complete, coherent story.
Exploration begins in 9th Grade through the Pathfinder experience. Direction deepens through 10th and 11th Grade. The Senior Capstone is the culminating expression of everything a ‘Blazer’s Pathway has produced.
Every Pathway moves through the same four-stage progression, accelerating the Woodlawn Arc across all four years of Upper School.
Five directions.
One student.
Their choice.
Global Community
The Global Community Pathway is for ‘Blazers whose inquiry points outward, toward how people live, organize, communicate, and create meaning across cultures and systems. Students develop depth in humanities, world languages, social science, and history, and connect their work to a broader community through direct engagement.
Business + Entrepreneurship
The Business + Entrepreneurship Pathway is for ‘Blazers who want to understand how ideas become enterprises, how systems are built, and how markets, organizations, and communities interact. Coursework in economics, personal finance, entrepreneurship, and applied design gives students the frameworks; internships and community partners give them the practice.
Fine + Performing Arts
The Fine + Performing Arts Pathway is for ‘Blazers who build their thinking through making, through drawing, designing, performing, building, and creating work that takes a position. AP Art, AP Drawing, AP 2D and 3D Design, performing arts, and visual arts coursework form the core. The Capstone is where the sustained creative practice becomes a portfolio and a point of view.
STEM
The STEM Pathway is for ‘Blazers whose questions live at the intersection of science, mathematics, technology, and design. AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, Engineering Design, and Computer Assisted Design courses form the core. Students pursue internships and mentorships in research, engineering, medicine, and applied technology.
Global Online Academy
The Global Online Academy Pathway is for ‘Blazers whose inquiry demands depth or specialization beyond what any single campus can offer. Through Woodlawn’s membership in GOA, students access rigorous online courses taught by faculty from the world’s leading independent schools and work alongside peers from institutions across the globe.
What every ‘Blazer
completes before graduation.
All full-year, one-credit courses are offered at the honors or Advanced Placement level. Most students earn 27 to 28 credits across four years. Minimum enrollment is six courses each trimester.
Beyond credit requirements, every ‘Blazer completes three Signature Learning Experiences that cannot be replicated in a classroom alone.
Every Upper School course
offered at honors or AP level.
Select a subject area to view the full course listing. All required courses are marked. Elective and advanced offerings vary by year.
English
4 Credits Required
+−
Mathematics
4 Credits Required
+−
History + Social Science
3 Credits Required
+−
Science
3 Credits Required
+−
World Language
3 Credits Required
+−
Creative Arts
1 Credit Required
+−
Wellness
1 Credit Required
+−
Required experiences that
no course alone can replace.
Every Woodlawn Upper School student completes three Signature Learning Experiences alongside their credit requirements. These are not electives. They are the connective tissue between what a student studies and who they are becoming.
Humanities + Renaissance Workshops
Interdisciplinary sessions that draw on history, literature, philosophy, languages, arts, business, science, and design simultaneously. Renaissance Workshops break the boundary between subjects and ask students to bring everything they know to a single question or problem. This is the Woodlawn Arc at its most concentrated.
Foundations + Futures
A four-year self-mission curriculum asking students to define what they stand for and how that evolves across Upper School. Foundations + Futures integrates Service Learning, College Counseling, and the 11th and 12th Grade Capstone + Internship experience. Students arrive at graduation knowing who they are, what they have built, and where they are going.
Discovery Courses
Required each trimester in 9th and 10th Grade, Discovery Courses give students structured time to investigate interests outside the core curriculum. A GOA course may be taken in place of a Discovery Course in any grade. In 11th and 12th Grade, students may opt for a GOA course, an independent study, or continued discovery. These are where Pathways of Purpose begin to take shape.
Senior Capstone
Nine months of original field-based research, a community mentor, an internship, and a formal presentation to a panel of community experts before graduation. The Senior Capstone is the culminating stage of the Woodlawn Arc and the final expression of a student’s Pathway of Purpose. Every senior presents. Every project is their own.
Learn About the Capstone →The Pathway extends
beyond the classroom.
Upper School ‘Blazers participate in a full range of co-curricular programs that deepen the outcomes their Pathway is building. These are not extras. They are part of the education.
Athletics
JV and Varsity men’s and women’s teams across fall, winter, and spring seasons. Athletics builds Alliance, resilience, and the discipline of showing up for a team consistently over time.
Woodlawn Impact Council
Student leadership through the Woodlawn Activities Committee (WAC), Student Union, and the Head of School Advisory Team. The Impact Council is where Advocacy becomes action at the school level.
Intermezzo
Twice each year, Woodlawn pauses the regular schedule for multi-day immersive experiences. Intermezzo pulls students out of routine for deep engagement with a theme, skill, or community challenge.
Performing Arts + Arts Studio
The Red Barn Players, AP Art, and the Arts Studio give ‘Blazers dedicated space for sustained creative practice. Students build portfolios, rehearse productions, and develop a personal artistic voice.
Domestic + International Travel
Travel opportunities connect coursework and Pathway inquiry to real places, communities, and cultures. International travel is part of the Awareness outcome made tangible.
Service + Academic Clubs
A range of student-led clubs connect ‘Blazers to community partners, academic interests, and shared purposes beyond the classroom. Clubs are where interests become commitments.
“Student voice and choice inspire independence and perseverance, and open up high school as a place and space of purpose and intention.”Woodlawn School, Pathways of Purpose
Ready to discover your
Pathway?
Tour Woodlawn’s campus in Mooresville, NC and meet the educators who designed this program. Pathways begin with a conversation, and that conversation can start any time. We serve families across Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville, and the Lake Norman region.