Description

Aesthetics and community are two aspects within education that can create an invaluable learning environment and a successful school. This is a study based on a methodology known as portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 1997), where relationships and community involvement are important elements in telling the story of a school. In order to fully paint this portraiture, interviews were conducted, observations performed, and work samples collected. This study takes education from the negative realm of standardization and test scores and brings light and hope with concepts such as community and aesthetics. The school portrayed, Porter-Gaud School, is a prominent private school located in Charleston, South Carolina. The Porter-Gaud School campus houses grades kindergarten through twelfth, and is a co-educational, college preparatory day school with ties to the Episcopal Church. The school is a successful academic institution with a focus on education, socialization, spirituality, community, athletics, and artistry.