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United States, San Francisco
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Design Lab provides hands-on, project-based learning with a range of analog and digital tools that support engineering, design thinking, robotics, and digital fabrication. Design Lab is a required middle school course where projects connect to science and math, culminating in student-led, technology-driven solutions. Sixth grade builds foundational skills and participates in the Middle School STEM Fair, while seventh and eighth grades tackle coding, graphic design, architecture, and engineering through student-centered projects and inventions. The Lab also hosts after-school activities, including a CAIS First Lego League Robotics Team and other technology enrichment classes.
Arts at CAIS encompass Music and Movement, Studio Art, and Dance, integrated as part of the school's curriculum. Preschool to third grade use Orff Schulwerk for active music-making, movement, and cultural instrument study, while older students continue to explore visual literacy and personal expression through studio art. Middle School emphasizes two- and three-dimensional art, critical thinking, and communication through visual projects. CAIS Theater Club demonstrates student leadership and performance, culminating in productions such as The Gum San Trilogy.
Global Programs include a Fifth Grade Taiwan Exchange, a Seventh Grade Guilin program, and an Eighth Grade Sichuan program, offering immersion experiences, homestays, and authentic learning opportunities. These programs enable students to apply language skills in real contexts and engage with Chinese communities abroad. Mandarin language pathways are integrated into Middle School, supporting bilingual and bicultural learning across grades.
CAIS offers Fall, Spring, and after-school enrichment classes—from cooking and crafts to martial arts and music—taught by experienced instructors. After-school athletics provide team sports for third through eighth grade students, emphasizing fun, fitness, teamwork, and social connections. These offerings give students structured opportunities to explore interests beyond the classroom.
Service learning is embedded in CAIS's Middle School program, including activities within San Francisco's Chinese community. Eighth Grade includes a two-week service-learning trip to Yunnan, China, providing extended opportunities for community engagement and social responsibility. Students and faculty also participate in broader CAIS community events and initiatives throughout the year.
Daily advisory sessions focus on identity development, community building, and developing leadership skills. The CAIS Theater Club highlights student leadership, with students leading sets, props, technical aspects, scheduling, and performances as a wholly student-led production. Service-learning experiences and club leadership opportunities foster ongoing professional and civic growth.
After-school athletics offer opportunities to have fun, improve fitness, and build teamwork. Outdoor Education experiences for middle school include ropes courses, ocean ecology, hiking, and other activities that promote resilience and well-being. The program supports a balanced approach to physical and social-emotional health through structured activity and peer collaboration.
