At the beginning of H.D. Woodson High School’s redesign journey, students reported feeling like they had to check their passions and interests at the door. While Woodson students love their teachers and are challenged by the curriculum, they said they wished they could more deeply explore their interests during the school day instead of waiting until after graduation.

That desire led to the creation of "Passion Fridays." The new afternoon block, co-designed by students, offers clubs and opportunities that expose learners to potential interests and make schoolwork feel more relevant. Students are able to draw deeper connections between their passions, learning experiences in the classroom, and future career paths—all with rigor and adult support.

This year’s amazing options have included: podcasting, fashion design, sports analytics, swimming and rowing, and yoga and mindfulness. Anthony, a Woodson junior, is proud of his participation:

"Just because where you come from is a place where opportunities don’t present themselves, doesn’t mean you can’t open doors for yourself."

This program is just one way that Woodson is living out the XQ Design Principle of Strong Mission and Culture, which unifies a school community during a redesign process. Woodson’s new mission is to activate student passions, and its educators are always thinking about how each component of the school serves that mission.

Donald Curtis, Woodson’s basketball coach, co-leads the sports analytics club, which brings math to sports lovers through statistics. Antonio, a junior, is loving it:

"The stuff I’ve learned in sports analytics improved my athletic abilities and my math skills. If I study and analyze the data, I will become a better student and a better player."

The buzz around Passion Fridays is palpable. But the program is more than fun—it’s improving student achievement. Woodson’s "on track for graduation" rate for 9th graders is up, and suspensions, chronic truancy, and absences are down. Coach Miesha Perry Thompson, who co-leads a swimming and rowing club, said:

"Students know that they have to keep their grades up if they want to participate in Passion Fridays."

Woodson’s passion activation is just one example of how strong mission and culture can thread their way through an entire school building. See you next month with more stories from inside DCPS high schools on the redesign journey!

Want to dig deeper?

• Follow Woodson on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
• Learn more about the XQ Design Principle of Strong Mission and Culture.
• This article in The 74 discusses how a sense of belonging is part of the key to unlocking student passions in STEM.
• Watch "The First Class," a documentary about the founding class of students and teachers at Crosstown High, a Memphis school showing us the future of learning.
• New to this work or need a refresher? Visit dcxq.us.