At Anandi, we’ve structured the school week so children don’t just study the world, they work on real problems and build meaningful solutions.

We call it the 4+1 Field Model: a structure that blends International Baccalaureate (IB) academic rigor with hands-on, real-world project work every single week.

What is the 4+1 Model?

• Four days a week are dedicated to structured IB curriculum learning across core subjects.
  
  

• The fifth day, i.e. Field Day is dedicated to building their capstone project: a hands-on project that connects classroom concepts to the world outside school and has to be delivered by the end of the semester.

Each student selects a field project stream from design to engineering to food systems to policy and spends 12- 20 weeks working with a small group to develop and deliver a meaningful solution for real-world use.

They’re guided not just by teachers, but by a field mentor: a practicing professional from the same industry as the child’s project. These mentors could be designers, architects, scientists, engineers, technologists - people with full-time jobs and deep experience who help students bring their ideas to life.

In junior school, students rotate through projects to build exposure. As they enter middle and high school, they begin to choose and go deeper into fields they care about.

Why weekly and where it comes from?

This model draws inspiration from some of the most future-forward institutions in the world:

Harvard Business School: FIELD method gives students structured opportunities to apply classroom learning to real-world settings. Students pick real world projects and only learn in context to what is required to deliver the outcome - spanning from building the next AI tool to consulting for a local cafe.

Google: Employees dedicate 20% of their time to passion projects, leading to innovations like Gmail and Google Maps.

We believe that in school, too, 80% of time should build academic depth, and 20% should spark applied discovery. 

Sample Field Project: Redesigning the Xbox Controller for All

Here’s a sample project from our middle school stream on Inclusive Product Design.

Project Title: Redesigning the Xbox Controller for All

Why this matters today

We’re preparing children for a world that looks nothing like the one we grew up in. Consider this:

1. AI is changing what matters. 85% of employers now prioritize creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving over content recall.* The ability to apply knowledge is more valuable than simply knowing it.
   
   

2. Work is increasingly global. Today’s professionals work across time zones, collaborate with remote teams, and solve problems that span industries and cultures. It’s not just about mastering one subject: it’s about making connections across disciplines and understanding different perspectives.
   
   

3. Most students aren’t engaged. A Gallup study found that over 70% of students in Grades 5–12 don’t feel excited about school.*** Without relevance and agency, learning becomes passive and children lose interest long before they discover what excites them.

What this builds over time

1. College and career readiness. Students graduate with multi-year project portfolios, real-world mentors, and a strong sense of direction.
   
   

2. Self-driven learners. They learn to choose, commit, struggle, and finish independently and collaboratively.
   
   

3. A mindset for life. They understand that excellence comes not from shortcuts, but from showing up every week and staying with something long enough to get good at it - finally discovering their own path to excellence

At Anandi, the 4+1 Field Model is a structural part of how we help children think deeply, act meaningfully, and grow into future-ready individuals. It’s one of the many ways we ensure learning at Anandi is not just rigorous, but real.

Resource Links: 

Gallup Study: https://news.gallup.com/poll/648896/schools-struggle-engage-gen-students.aspx

WEF Future of work: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/12/things-learned-ai-skilling-workers-technology/