Mesivta 404 Mesivta 404: Our Story of Risk-Failure-Opportunity | Page 19

During the summer of 2017, we began the planning of 404 2.0. We identified several basic principles
that would need to be structured if we had a shot of succeeding. We would need the right teachers, the
right space, the appropriate curriculum and instruction—but most importantly, we would need a
commitment from the boys that they would partner with us to build a school that would work.
Several important components needed to be worked out with a delicate balance: using technology in a
productive way, implementing a proper schedule that works with the boys’ energy, allowing students to
be responsible for parts of their learning while providing enough structure and, most importantly,
building a positive reinforcement system to focus on the light, rather than to fight the darkness. Each of
these components required a whole series of design meetings and prototyping in order to follow
through on our commitment to partner with the students, rather than just imposing from above.
The most exciting moment of the summer was when the mesivta boys began to learn how to CAT5 wire
and set up the IT network for their new building. They helped with part of the renovation of their new
space, including picking out and assembling the furniture, as well as wiring lighting and even acted as
janitors of the building. Talk about ownership.
“
In Lamplighters there is no
hierarchy...it is an atmosphere of
complete trust. There is no distance
between students and teachers.
Nisi Schlanger
Eleventh Grader
Late night furniture purchasing for our new classroom
”