A hallmark of the Sage experience, LEAP Week is an annual event that consists of special-elective classes called “clusters,” based on two fundamental characteristics – authentic learning and real-life problems. These elective courses are designed by faculty and experts in the community to provide opportunities for in-depth, highly focused, project-oriented study. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 can select from a variety of exciting courses that emphasize higher-order thinking skills and provide opportunities for creative and productive applications of these skills to real-world situations.

The courses are week-long, half-day units, designed for small- to medium-sized groups of students with an emphasis on in-depth, interdisciplinary study and project-based work. Class composition within the clusters often represents a cross-section of ages and school divisions, depending on the subject. At the end of the week, students gather to share highlights of their experiences and present their work to one another at an all-school assembly. These demonstrations take many forms, including performances, presentations, or displays.

LEAP Week is based on the Triad Model of learning for gifted students as well as the Schoolwide Enrichment Model designed by educational researcher Joseph Renzulli, who directs The National Research Center on the Gifted & Talented. Courses in past years have included Design & Engineering, Genetics, The Principles of Flight, Secret Formulas, and Computer Animation.