At BCD, we are committed to a rigorous and well-rounded course of instruction.

We also believe that our students benefit from a foundation rooted in character and the opportunity to develop 21st Century skills and competencies. We have four Signature Programs, curated to develop personal and academic skills and strengths. Students need to move forward with knowledge, and with knowledge comes the responsibility of goodness.

BCD has established Signature Programs in Social-Emotional Learning, Civics Action, and Outdoor Learning to support its inquiry-based educational model and commitment to social justice and environmental sustainability. In addition, students explore a STEAM-based program in The Gunnet-Shoval Family Imagination Lab, which is a natural extension of BCD’s curriculum and educational philosophy. These programs are the core of BCD’s mission, informing and inspiring imagination and intellect while building and strengthening character.



Social Emotional Learning

BCD’s commitment to social emotional learning begins in the earliest grades. One of the School’s values is empathy, and our youngest students learn to recognize and model behavior based on social awareness, kindness, gratitude, and respect.

In a curriculum based on three tenets, Be Kind, Be Strong, Be Well, students continue in dialogue as they progress through Lower School. In Middle School, students focus on engagement, belonging, and wellness, by teaching healthy habit development, social awareness strategies, and empathy building techniques.

Civics Action

The study of and engagement with civics initiates in Third Grade and continues throughout a student’s journey through BCD. Designed to build informed and engaged citizens of the world, the study of civics is embedded throughout the curriculum.

Students begin with a study of our community in the Berkshires, learning the history of the School and how it connects with the history of the area. Students learn about local governance in the form of town meetings and visit local sites. Their knowledge advances by studying the history of democracy and its evolution in ancient civilizations to its current global forms. In Seventh Grade, BCD students study American government including the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They visit state and national government sites to see civics in action. Students continue their study of other international forms of government and the stage of world politics.

Outdoor Learning

BCD’s program in Outdoor Learning is intended to introduce students to the natural world and reinforce the role and responsibility that humans have to respect and preserve it. Throughout each level of this course, students will learn many valuable wilderness skills, which will serve them in their time at BCD and beyond.

In Lower School, the focus is on the introduction of basic wilderness skills and the familiarization of the students with nature. The academic themes include Wilderness Safety, Plant & Tree Identification, Animal Adaptations, Hibernation and Migration, Winter Wildlife, Animal Tracking, Birds, and Nature Journaling. 

In Middle School, the focus shifts to the learning and application of survival skills. The academic themes include Poisonous & Invasive Plants, Outdoor Exploration, Survival Skills, Forest Forensics, Maple Tapping, Navigation, Winter Skills, and Camping. The ultimate goal of this course is to provide the students with the necessary skills to feel comfortable and confident in the wilderness, while also gaining an improved understanding and appreciation of the outdoors.

Imagination Lab

BCD’s Imagination Lab offers a space for exploration of STEAM-based projects. It contains a digital lab for engineering and graphic design, a makerspace for hands-on tactile projects, a robotics area, and a 3-D printing lab for the realization and construction of design projects. 

BCD also has a separate workshop for students to complete projects in wood or metal. Students may engage in projects based in the Imagination Lab working with the Director of the Imagination Lab or they may have projects that are created in partnership with classroom teachers and the academic subjects. All students have dedicated class time in the Imagination Lab every week, and Middle School students have a double weekly period to work on larger projects. The Gunnet-Shoval Family Imagination Lab also hosts events open to the public.