Knowing your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Knowing where you are and where you want to go next. Knowing how you learn and how to push yourself further. Knowing the world is always changing, and that you can change the world. Get to know Breck
Welcome to Breck, a preschool through grade 12 independent, Episcopal, collegepreparatory day school for the creative and the curious.
Our Mission
We create confident learners who lead lives of intellectual curiosity, self-knowledge, and social responsibility. Core Values
Compassion Honor the dignity of all human beings.
Excellence
Strive with integrity for the highest standards.
Inclusivity Foster a just and welcoming community.
Respect Value each other’s unique talents, spirit, and potential.
To us, community isn’t merely a collection of people. It isn’t just a place. It isn’t even a noun. Community is an action.
It’s our families, faculty, staff, and alumni all working toward a common purpose — to create an inspiring and nurturing space for every student. To care for them, challenge them, and help them understand who they are and who they want to be. Every person plays their part and together, we’re Breck.
It’s in our nurture.
Success and challenge are both temporary, but the relationships we share last a lifetime. Which is why, at Breck, our expert faculty are dedicated to forming deep relationships with every student. Through our small class sizes, personalization and press, and our commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, we uncover how students learn and what each one needs to achieve their goals. Because when we understand each student, we can partner with them to achieve more than they ever thought possible.
At Breck, we see the achievements of our alumni as a proud reminder of what’s possible when we all work together. We’re honored that our graduates remain as dedicated to our school as we were to them.
Our network of alumni is essential to our community and provide the support, connections, influence, and inspiration to help our students thrive.
Family is integral to our community and the education we provide. Our faculty partner with families to challenge and support students in the classroom and at home through strong communication, student-parent-teacher partnerships, Parent Education About Kids (PEAK) learning workshops, and more.
We designed our campus around a simple idea: Where we learn shapes how we learn. The spaces we inhabit, and the people we share them with, are as vital as any test or quiz.
Here, we all learn and grow together — preschool through grade 12. From classrooms to common spaces, high ropes courses to robotics labs, every inch of our campus is alive with curiosity and creativity. Breck is filled with vibrant spaces and places to gain perspective, be challenged, and grow.
This way of living and learning together is the truest reflection of our Episcopal identity — that through the knowledge and experience of each other’s unique talent, spirit, and potential, we demonstrate to one another empathy and care for our community. We strive to create a sense of belonging for all of our students. That means we allow our lived experiences of different faiths to influence and deepen the development of our own beliefs and ideas. An eighth-grade student gives a
The process of learning is as important as the outcome.
Which is why we teach students to see every moment as a learning opportunity. Whether in class, on stage, hanging out with friends, or focusing on the task at hand — every single second at Breck is a chance to grow and a chance to embrace learning. When that happens, a world of limitless opportunities awaits.
At Breck, we urge every student to pursue knowledge in and out of the classroom.
Sparking a student’s engagement and contribution to their larger community is essential at Breck. Through acts of service, our students learn and grow while helping organizations do the same. It instills the core values of compassion, inclusivity, and respect, ensuring that each student enters the world prepared to work for its betterment.
From Lower School Explore Block to the vast selection of Middle School electives, Breck students pursue academics focusing on inquiry, curiosity, and growth. These experiences of in-depth exploration culminate in our highly regarded Upper School Advanced Research programs where students engage in college-level research projects, working in labs and professional settings.
What are you into? What gets you on your feet and your mind on the move?
Being an Episcopal School offers yet another opportunity for students to engage in their development of identity and empowerment of voice.
In every division, there are myriad opportunities for students to participate. From student clubs, councils, to affinity groups, we place special emphasis on supporting a thriving set of diverse, student-led extracurricular activities.
Our World Languages program exposes our students to new people, cultures, and ideas. It enhances our capacity to speak languages and develop a lifelong appreciation for other people and cultures.
The playing field is as vital a space as any classroom.
Which is why we stress the value of a strong body as well as a strong mind and foster in every student a healthy love of competition, teamwork, and play. Our coaches and athletic staff are teachers — each one dedicated to building a sense of camaraderie, leadership, dedication, and personal growth.
Over 80% of our Middle and Upper School students take part in at least one of our 27 cocurricular programs.
Whether on the field or the court, in the pool or on the ice, there’s a place for every student to play and grow together — all located right here on our Breck campus.
At Breck, we’ve made the arts an essential element of our curriculum — not merely to broaden a student’s mind, but to sharpen it as well.
Through the performing and visual arts we learn to think and communicate creatively.
We learn to challenge old ideas and imagine new possibilities. The arts help us listen and share. They teach us to understand ourselves and give us the courage and skills to share our story with the world.
From dancing on stage to performing in the orchestra — we think every student should have the chance to perform.
From preschool all the way through grade 12, students develop their creative muscles in our performing arts classes while learning from professional, working artists. Throughout their time at Breck, students are able to progress through all of the levels of dance, musical, and theatrical arts.
Whether it’s with charcoal or clay, paint or pixels, every Breck student has the opportunity to express their creativity.
Here, our students learn and create together in our art studios that are filled with inspiration from practicing artists: their teachers. Students at every level are immersed in the arts and urged to risk, try, fail, and succeed — pushing themselves and their imaginations well beyond what they ever thought possible.
Our Mission
At Breck, we create confident learners who lead lives of intellectual curiosity, self-knowledge, & social responsibility.
CU·RI·OS·I·TY
Noun [kyoor-ee-os-i-tee]
def. The desire to learn or know about anything.
ex. Curious minds know.
At Breck, your curiosity leads you to uncover new opportunities and perspectives. Through conversations with expert faculty members and the support of your peers and the Breck school community, you can delve deep into your interests, create something new, and flex your problem-solving skills.
Your curiosity leads you to develop your own independent spirit and learn to not only ask questions, but to also question the answers so you can be prepared to take on the challenges and grab hold of opportunities in our ever-changing world.
At Breck, we fuel a continuous cycle of exploration and discovery from preschool through graduation. By creating a deep and enduring appreciation for the process of gaining knowledge, we are confident that Breck students will take with them one of life’s most important gifts: a love of learning.
“From spending hours working in a lab for science research to writing English essays and poetry, at Breck, I’ve had the chance to dive into so many different venues. With teachers who inspire me to learn and resources that encourage me to think, my curiosity has thrived, driving me to explore the connections in these distinct spaces.”
KNOWL·EDGE
Noun [nol-ij]
def. Familiarity with a subject or branch of learning.
ex. Knowledge in knowing.
When you really know yourself, you can recognize your strengths and talents. Understanding who you are is the key to building self-confidence and growing as a person.
When armed with self-knowledge, you gain the wisdom to understand your own emotions and the feelings and the nuances that drive others. Understanding how emotions impact you and others helps you solidify who you are, your values and beliefs, so you can make choices that stay true to yourself.
When you know who you are, you know what really inspires you. The genuine appetite for experience and learning stay with you no matter where life takes you.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself in Middle School. Knowing my strengths and what strategies work to push through something I am stuck on has helped me be a better planner, writer, and learner.”
Adjective [ri-spon-suh-buhl]
def. Accountable for one’s own power.
ex. We’re responsible for the future we make together.
encourages
A commitment to social responsibility teaches us to consider the needs and well-being of others, which spurs us on to get involved in our neighborhood and participate in civic engagement with those we share community with every day.
When we think beyond ourselves, we are more likely to consider the effects of our actions, and we are moved to collaborate with others to lead and make ethical decisions that benefit us all.
It is hard to find a higher purpose than contributing positively to society. We believe our students have opportunities to learn about and invest in their world. From partnering with neighbors to strengthen our local community to impacting change on a global scale, Breck students are building toward a future common good.
“Social responsibility means you care for those around you. I like helping people because I want to make the world a better place.”
We are a community of high-achieving, motivated students & faculty focused on intellectual inquiry, engagement, & bridging educational research with classroom practice.
As one of only two centers of its kind in the nation, the Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education is dedicated to understanding how and why young minds learn best. Our faculty blend research from the fields of psychology, cognitive science, and education with their own classroom expertise into new and dynamic practices — enabling us to personalize a student’s experience and continue to set the standard of how we teach and learn for years to come.
When a student understands how to learn better, they’re able to think bigger, bolder, and more freely. They gain the confidence to advocate for themselves, grow, and succeed.
Curious minds are never at rest. Nothing is more important than a desire to know. We work with every teacher to reach all students to create confident learners for life.
Intellectual growth is built on the bond between students and their teachers and is created through dedicated collaboration, trust, and hard work to ensure our students know they are in a vibrant learning environment.
Think about your thinking.
There are few issues more essential than those of equity, leadership, and exploration. The Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity is where we all — students, faculty, and staff — explore those issues together. Through school-wide programming, affinity groups, leadership programs, community partnerships, professional development, and more, we work together to learn, grow, and engage in critical conversations about identity, equity, and social justice for the benefit of one another and our larger community.
At Breck we engage in conversations that reflect our values of inquiry, inclusion, and reason. Through relationships, we grow our intellectual curiosity and ability to engage differences in belief and experience. Our culture of valuing all of our community members extends beyond our classrooms into the hallways, dining rooms, and community spaces. We commit to a practice of discourse with dignity that develops both listening and speaking skills, as well as the courage to express our authentic selves. This practice aligns with our school’s mission and values of developing engaged and respectful individuals.
We know that a thriving community is one that is diverse, embracing the richness of varying perspectives while honoring the dignity of every human being. We believe our commitment to creating an inclusive community will prepare our graduates to lead in the world around them.
For a campus with so many diverse minds, big ideas, and vibrant imaginations, we are united by our mission and values.
Knowledge isn’t something we collect. It’s something we continuously pursue. From the first day of preschool to the day the seniors toss their graduation caps, Breck students learn to learn — gaining the confidence in knowing who they are, what they can do, and who they can become.
Learning is shaped by our experiences, in and out of school, across our lifetimes, and is integrated with every aspect of human development.
Children in Preschool and Kindergarten are capable of deep learning. And at Breck, we are uniquely positioned to cultivate their learning and growth. Children are incessantly testing their world to understand how it works. Our early-learning experts guide children through hands-on activities, problem-solving tasks, and interactive discussions to develop deeper understanding.
Children are allowed to explore their curiosities, wonder about the world around them, and engage in critical thinking. The experiences our children face early in life impacts the development of their brain architecture, which creates the foundation for their future learning and behaviors.
Our educators meet the needs of each student as students travel through this developmental journey.
Our community is built on the relationships our educators create with each child — knowing their strengths and their opportunities, their wonderings, and their fears.
“With small class sizes, I know the unique strengths of each of my students and can create learning experiences that uniquely engage and challenge them.”
Ella DiLorenzo Grade 1 Teacher
Our Lower School students, fueled by a vibrant learning community, engage in deep learning opportunities in an environment of trusting relationships and strong partnerships. Informed by research, our teaching and daily experiences are tailored to the developmental needs of children, giving them agency and ownership of their learning throughout the day.
We believe it’s essential for children to see the impact they can have on the world — whether it be an act of kindness, a generous heart, or a helping hand.
Reflecting our mission of social responsibility, Lower School students learn their role at Breck and across communities through civic engagement, community partnerships, and our beloved peerto-peer buddy program that connects students across grade levels.
This is a time of great growth and change. Which is why we emphasize a student’s understanding of who they are and how they learn.
During Middle School, students are guided toward who they want to be. Not just as students, but as budding engineers, athletes, environmentalists, and artists.
One way this is done is through our Middle School Competencies, which align and guide learning experiences that grow our collective capacity to lead lives of intellectual curiosity, self-knowledge, and social responsibility. As an articulation of both goals and practices, these competencies — creativity, critical thinking, communication, agency, wellbeing, citizenship, and collaboration — shift teaching from providing information to empowering students to become active meaning makers who seek deep understanding and are able to transfer their learning.
The result is far more than just a student with better grades. It’s a better grade of student.
“Breck wants you to step into the door you’ve never been in before. On the other side, there is always a teacher or friend waiting to help you.”
Enzo Upper School Student
Through our innovative curriculum, state-ofthe-art learning spaces, and vast array of opportunities, grades 9 through 12 continue to develop skills, broaden minds, and empower enthusiasm.
Upper School faculty continuously build unique connections with each student, allowing them to challenge, inspire, and drive deep, authentic learning.
Through independent research, interdisciplinary classes, and post-AP courses, students are challenged to explore new ideas and emerging fields of study. This, along with our fully integrated community partnership program, research-informed teaching, and inclusive community, means Upper Schoolers are prepared for every challenge and opportunity to come.
Armed with the skills to compete, the confidence to lead, and the empathy to serve, students graduate with a genuine understanding of the complex world they are entering.
College Counseling
Counselors serve an essential role in our community. They’re not just counselors. They also teach, advise, and lead in our community partnerships. They’re an integral part of campus life and are here to listen, reflect, and guide our students through their education.
There is no higher mission for our counselors than to help students fully understand their own story. So, beginning in sophomore year, we foster individual relationships with each one — and give them the time, attention, and skills they need to tell it.
184
Colleges and Universities Attended
6 along with 6 different countries
Counseling Resources
Counselors assigned in grade 10
Programming for students and families each semester beginning in grade 9
Coffee conversations for grade 11 and grade 12 parents
Application Case Studies program for grade 11 students
On-campus test prep, essay, and interview workshops for grade 11 students
36 in 36 States and Washington D.C.
3 with 3 Morehead Cain Scholars in the mix
27 and 27 Division I Athletes.
Caleb Kumar ’13 develops data-driven health care solutions for the Harvard University School of Public Health
A member of Breck’s inaugural Robotics Team, Kumar patented a machine learning technology from his Stanford dorm room — setting the stage for a future in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Grace Zumwinkle ’17 earns 2024 PWHL Rookie of the Year award
A former Gopher hockey player and Olympian, Zumwinkle now plays for the Minnesota Frost — and helped her team win the inaugural Walter Cup in 2024.
Simone HardemanJones ’98 named one of the Top 50 Women in Business by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
The founding executive director of GreenLight Fund Twin Cities, Hardeman-Jones facilitates game-changing collaborations so residents historically impacted by systemic racial and economic inequities can thrive.
Sophie Miller ’03 serves as the Chief Operator at Google Labs
Miller built and helps to lead the team that works at the forefront of Google’s most innovative and experimental AI initiatives. She’s also a current parent to three Breck students.
Eric Ryan ’97 is the brains behind NASCAR communications
As the Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at NASCAR, Ryan develops and executes communication strategies for one of the most popular motorsports organizations in the world.
Andrew Dayton ’02 is reshaping the philanthropic landscape in the Twin Cities
As founder and CEO of the Constellation Fund, Dayton leads an evidence-driven, communityinformed approach to identifying and investing in transformational poverty-fighting solutions across the Twin Cities.
When you choose Breck, you choose more than just a great education. You’re embracing a journey into an adulthood filled with unexpected opportunity and boundless possibility.
To learn more about life at Breck, visit breckschool.org
To speak with a member of our Admissions team, call our office at 763.381.8200 or email admissions@breckschool.org Financial Aid
We believe that the journey should be open to everyone. Which is why, every year, we distribute over $9.5 million in financial aid. Visit breckschool.org/admissions/financialaid to learn more.
To start the process, find out more at breckschool.org/apply
It is Breck’s policy to administer its educational programs — including admission and financial aid — without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national or ethnic origin, or disability.