Our Signature Programs | Middle School Signature Programs | Headwaters School

Our Signature Programs

Middle School Signature Programs

middle school students filming a classmate holding a basketball outdoors for a film class project.

City As Classroom

The nine buildings on our River Campus are home to our Middle and High School programs. We are blocks from the State Capitol, City Hall, Shoal Creek, Waller Creek, Lake Austin, and the business district, and close to parks, museums, and cultural sites.

We take full advantage of our location. Through our City As Classroom initiative, we aim to be deeply integrated with civic, tech, environmental, and service opportunities in the community, reaching far beyond the walls of our schools. This “local to global” approach puts learning in an expanding context and encourages students to use observation, research, and reason to explore problems that matter to us, our community, and the world.

City As Classroom Engagement Can Take a Variety of Forms:

  • Whole class experiences, such as trips to the Blanton, sites of African American history, Green Gate Farms, Mexic-Arte, and Barton Springs University. We also venture into our neighborhood to make art, use the resources at the Central Library, enjoy parks, and eat at food trucks.
  • Self-driven individual experiences where students attend UT lectures and concerts, intern at the Capital Factory, undertake local ethnographies, or participate in service work.
  • Deep discussion and problem-solving about Austin, cities, and urban issues inside the classroom, and welcoming local community members and organizations to campus.
students playing with a large decorated ball outdoors near school buildings.

International Programs

We believe real-world learning happens when students step beyond the classroom and into the world. We want students to experience history, language, and culture not just from a textbook, but through personal exploration and meaningful connection. Whether it’s walking through the ruins of ancient Rome, cooking paella with a Spanish host family, or reflecting at a memorial in Cambodia, our students grow into global thinkers—curious, empathetic, and ready to make an impact.

International experiences are deeply connected to our mission and the International Baccalaureate (IB) MYP and Diploma Programmes, which encourage inquiry, intercultural understanding, and meaningful engagement with the world.

Upcoming Trips

We’re proud to offer immersive international travel opportunities that are designed to deepen understanding, build empathy, and bring learning to life. Each trip is crafted to connect directly with what students are learning in class, while offering unforgettable moments of discovery, challenge, and connection. 

students and adults posing together outdoors during a service project.

Costa Rica

Language, Culture,
and Service: A Headwaters Immersion Experience

March 2026

During Project Week, a small group of middle schoolers will journey to Herradura de Rivas, Costa Rica, for an unforgettable experience of language immersion, cultural exploration, and community service. Through daily Spanish lessons, homestays with local families, and outdoor adventures, you’ll dramatically improve your language skills, deepen your global understanding, and feel empowered to step confidently into the wider world.

a teacher guiding a student using a camera outdoors.
middle school students working with a teacher on a coding activity using a Smart Lab display.
middle school students playing guitar and bass together in music class.
middle and high school students posing together with staff during an advisory service activity.

Fine Arts

In our fine arts program, students develop skills in creative problem solving, learn to practice their craft with dedication, and give voice to their thoughts, ideas, and feelings about the world.

Film

Learn visual storytelling and cinematography, and study an array of genres, including silent shorts, experimental/studio art pieces, music videos, and non-sync narratives. You’ll produce at least one final project to be showcased at an exhibition outside of class.

 

Music

Get an introduction to woodwinds, strings, percussion, and brass while learning improvisation, musical notation, instrument fundamentals, and musical reading skills. While you’ll learn sight reading and scales, the main focus is on creativity and improvisation, leading you to create music from within yourself. 

   

Studio Art

You’ll be introduced to concepts and practices of art through both visual and art historical perspectives.

Discuss content, composition, style, method and materials, and explore a range of practices, including drawing and painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, conceptual and installation art, video art, earthworks, performance art, craft, and graphic design. 

 

Photography

Learn about image composition, and how the elements of art and principles of design combine to create meaning in an artwork. You’ll create images from both assignments and open-ended prompts, select their best images for editing and manipulation, participate in peer review, and build confidence in speaking about your work. 

 

student working on a Japanese language worksheet during class, using a pencil to complete written exercises.

Ready to Begin the Journey?
 

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