Learning Environment
Red Bridge
Red Bridge is a groundbreaking independent K–8 school in San Francisco centered on student agency and ownership of learning. Founded in 2020, the school structures its program so students set goals, reflect on progress, and gradually take increasing responsibility for their learning. Its holistic approach includes one-on-one coaching, collaborative projects, and student-driven assessment that aims to help students graduate with the confidence, self-knowledge, and critical thinking skills needed to adapt and flourish in a rapidly changing world.
BOLD Fellow
Orly Friedman
Orly Friedman is the founder and Head of School at Red Bridge. Before launching Red Bridge, Orly was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Transcend. She spent a year creating a blueprint for a new model of education designed to foster a sense of agency in students. Prior to that, she spent several years as the Head of Lower School and founding member of the Khan Lab School, and was a Teach for America corps member in Washington DC. She has spoken around the globe on the topic of student agency and has had her writing published in Education Week and EducationNext.