Northern Light School

3710 Dorisa Avenue   Oakland, CA   94605

Northern Light School (NLS) serves students in Pre-K to 8th grade. Our mission is to provide an empowering education for children from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Our focus is on academic excellence as well as non-violence, acceptance of differences, respect for the environment, and the moral advancement of humanity — so that the children develop an understanding that they have a responsibility to make a difference in the lives of others. At Northern Light, we understand that rigorous academics alone are insufficient to prepare our students for success in a rapidly changing world. Our small class sizes (capped at 20) ensure that students have the opportunity to practice problem solving, collaboration, and inquiry-based learning, while expressing their knowledge in creative and critical ways. At the same time, Northern Light is also deeply committed to social justice, and the importance of developing engaged citizens who, in the words of Paolo Freire, “participate in the transformation of their worlds.” For this reason, social justice lies at the core of Northern Light’s identity.