GATES MILLS, Ohio, July 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hawken community will gather on Sunday afternoon, August 29, 2010 to celebrate one of the most momentous occasions in the school's recent history. Marking a return to the school's geographical roots, The Sally & Bob Gries Center for Experiential and Service Learning, located at 10823 Magnolia Drive, will be at the forefront of innovative education. Serving as an extension campus for lower, middle and upper school students, the Center will enable students to connect with some of the greatest cultural organizations, research laboratories, hospitals and service agencies in the world for meaningful learning experiences.

The opening will mark the culmination of several years of programmatic planning for The Readiness Initiative, Hawken's 21st century manifestation of our founder's vision.  The implementation of an innovative upper school schedule, which will include a combination of rotation and variable length periods along with two multi-week "intensive" blocks per year that resemble college "J terms", will help facilitate immersion experiences in the humanities, arts, and sciences.  Students will also utilize the extension campus for experiential and service learning opportunities designed to support curricular development and community engagement.

In addition to a ribbon cutting ceremony, the celebration will include tours of the newly renovated building, which features numerous improvements including classrooms with up-to-date technology; green reuse of woodwork, doors, cabinetry and lighting fixtures; and new energy efficient windows.

In addition to a 2:00 p.m. speaker event and a 3:00 ribbon cutting ceremony and community open house, faculty and students will be on hand to discuss their work with University Circle partners and some of the innovative courses planned for the upcoming school year.

Hawken School is an independent, nonsectarian, coed day school of approximately 960 students, grades pre-K through 12, located on two campuses in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland. Founded in 1915, Hawken is recognized as one of the premier college preparatory schools in the nation with a diverse student body participating in a challenging program of academics, arts, and athletics that prepares them to meet the challenges of tomorrow's world.

SOURCE Hawken School