Lower Division

OUR LOWER DIVISION PROGRAM

Interdisciplinary, rigorous, bilingual learning

Language immersion continues in the Lower Division, with students learning in English and either Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. Our rigorous project and interdisciplinar-based curriculum builds cognitive flexibility, global fluency, and a deep sense of purpose–in two languages.

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LANGUAGE IMMERSION

Fostering fluency in a world language

Building on the foundation established in the ELC, lower division students learn in both English and their target language. Immersion is a vehicle for–rather than a replacement of–subject-area knowledge. Students switch daily between languages, meeting and exceeding academic goals in both.

Learn more about Language Immersion

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INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING

Critical thinking in action

We pair the pedagogy of inquiry with project-based learning to spark curiosity and build critical thinking skills. Students dive into project work with confidence and excitement, motivated by a desire to expand their knowledge and solve complex problems.

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INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY

Fostering innovation and real-world problem solving

By asking students to think across, rather than within, traditional academic subjects, interdisciplinary study cultivates creative thinking and cognitive flexibility—vital skills for 21st-century problem solvers.

Benefits of language immersion

The immersion model confers significant cultural and cognitive advantages on young learners.

Learn more about Language Immersion

Academic Excellence

Immersion is not a trade-off. Research shows that dual-language students consistently outperform monolingual peers on standardized measures of both reading and math.

Empathy & Perspective-Taking

Immersion learners develop the ability to see the world through others' eyes earlier than their peers, building stronger social and emotional intelligence from a young age.

Stronger Executive Function

Language immersion sharpens the brain's "command center," enhancing pattern recognition, attention control, and problem-solving skills, which enhance learning across all subjects.

Lifelong Professional Advantage

Bilingualism opens doors. As students grow into adults, a second language expands career opportunities across industries and borders.

Lifelong Brain Health

The cognitive benefits of bilingualism compound over a lifetime, from sharper thinking in childhood to protecting against cognitive decline in later years.

Academic Challenge, Personalized

Within every Lower Division classroom, teachers differentiate instruction to both stretch and support each learner—offering opportunities for deeper exploration, targeted guidance, flexible grouping, and individualized pathways for growth.

As students develop confidence and agency, many pursue advanced opportunities that extend learning beyond the core curriculum. Signature offerings like the Junior Institute for Advanced Mathematics invite students to engage deeply with complex problem-solving, mathematical reasoning, and collaborative inquiry in ways that nurture both challenge and joy. Across disciplines, students are encouraged to think critically, take intellectual risks, and develop the habits of confident, independent learners.

Culture and Connection

Through cultural clubs, celebrations, and community experiences, students explore traditions, perspectives, and stories connected to the languages they study. In the Mandarin Cultural Club, for example, students might engage with calligraphy, ribbon dancing, traditional celebrations, crafts, and storytelling that bring language and culture to life.

Students also begin building connections with peers beyond New York through collaborative projects and exchanges with peer schools across the globe. These early experiences help students see language as a tool for communication, friendship, and understanding while expanding their awareness of different cultures and communities.

Together, these opportunities help students strengthen their sense of belonging, develop empathy and curiosity, and build the intercultural understanding that prepares them for deeper global learning experiences in the Upper Division.

peek into a 3rd grade chinese classroom

A day in the life of Lower Division

Step inside a Mandarin Chinese 3rd grade classroom in September and see Avenues’ language-immersion model in action across a typical school day.

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES

Our teachers & our facilities

Teachers who know when to support, and when to stretch

Lower Division students learn with expert faculty across languages and disciplines. Classroom teachers work across English and either Mandarin Chinese or Spanish, while specialist teachers deepen learning in science, art, music, library, dance and Wellness and Movement. Together, they create an environment where students are deeply known, appropriately challenged and increasingly encouraged to take ownership of their learning.

Our space: a campus that expands the classroom

Lower Division students learn throughout our 315,000-square-foot campus in the heart of West Chelsea, with spaces designed for academic learning, creativity, collaboration and movement. And learning regularly extends beyond the building itself: with the High Line, galleries and cultural institutions just outside our doors, New York City becomes another place to investigate ideas, make connections and experience learning in context.

Meet our faculty