Learning that answers “When will I use this?”
Every project at Ohana Prep starts with a real question and ends in front of a real audience. Along the way, students learn the academic skills the problem demands, which is why the learning sticks.
Five steps, every time.
Projects follow the same shape whether the brief comes from a teacher, a DCOTA designer, or a community partner. The academic standards live in the Learn step, and the audience in the Share step is real.
What projects can look like
Examples of the kinds of projects students take on, each connecting several subjects.
A complement to the core, not a replacement
Project-based learning is a hands-on complement to a strong academic core. The college-preparatory curriculum in English, math, science, social studies, and world languages stays rigorous and sequenced, and Kaplan's ACT, SAT, and AP preparation runs alongside it. Projects are where students find out what the core is for.
Why it works in a design campus
Most schools have to invent an audience. Ohana Prep's is down the hall. Designers, entrepreneurs, and business owners inside DCOTA can bring real briefs, sit on critiques, and tell a sixteen-year-old what a client would actually say. That's feedback no rubric can replace.
Where it leads
Projects feed the STEAM electives, the internship program, and the portfolio each student carries into college applications.
Be part of Ohana's founding class.
Applications open December 15, 2026. Join the waitlist to hear first about info sessions, showroom visits, and scholarship guidance.