From its earliest days, Hawken School has been committed to developing character and intellect. The school believes that living meaningful, productive lives requires traits such as compassion, integrity, initiative, confidence, and resilience as well as a commitment to lifelong learning. Providing a strong academic foundation while nurturing these essential attributes equips Hawken students with the tools they need to realize and fulfill their potential both personally and professionally.
The learning spaces on its campuses — from Hawken’s Early Childhood Center to the 8,000 square feet of maker space to the new Upper School academic building — are intentionally designed to enhance and deliver the school’s innovative curriculum, which focuses on hands-on, interactive, meaningful learning.
Stirn Hall, Hawken’s state-of-the-art high school building that opened in 2016 on the Gates Mills campus, was designed to equip faculty with the physical space needed to execute the School’s forward-focused mission. The building features a cutting edge, two-story science center; an innovative two-story learning commons; a fabrication lab and media and communications lab that includes an editing suite, media lab, and media production studio; 37 new classrooms; a college counseling suite; and dedicated writing and learning centers.
Hawken School purchased five additional properties on Magnolia Drive to house the Mastery School of Hawken, opened in August 2020. This new high school builds on Hawken’s experiential curriculum, offering problem-based learning within steps of neighbors in University Circle and Glenville and expanding partnerships with many of the most engaging and innovative cultural, educational, arts, and medical institutions in the world.