Recently, Nicole visited the American School in Rio de Janeiro, a vibrant campus where local culture and a global mindset intersect. At the same time, Rob was collaborating with an international client preparing to launch a premier school model in North America. These two experiences, on opposite sides of the hemisphere, got both of us thinking: What does it really mean to have an American education?

It’s easy to reduce the answer to programs or curricula. The Advanced Placement (AP) program is often seen as a hallmark of American education, while the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma carries a more global reputation. But the lines are blurring. Many American schools now offer IB, and AP classes are taught worldwide.

When we look beneath the surface, the essence of an American education feels less about a specific course and more about a mindset: a belief system connected deeply to the ideal of the American Dream. This ideal suggests that anyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, can “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” and move upward, traditionally, but not exclusively, through education. Yet we know this is a deeply flawed narrative.

We recognize that this version of the American Dream was never built to serve everyone equally. The idea that success is simply a matter of effort ignores the deep and ongoing impact of systemic racism, economic inequality, gender bias, ableism and other forms of oppression. The structures of American education were shaped by these inequities, and too often still reproduce them today.

We also don’t want to romanticize American education. Many of our schools are underfunded, inequitable, and shaped by policies that disproportionately harm Black, Indigenous, and other students of color, as well as students with disabilities and multilingual learners. The system is inconsistent and too often reflects the very inequities it should be working to repair.  

Yet when we talk to international students and families about why they want what they believe to be an American education, it is this idea of opportunity, the possibility that education can be a lever for mobility and change, that drives them. That hope is powerful, but it can only be realized when paired with a genuine commitment to equity and inclusion, like we’ve seen in a number of schools actively working to redesign their systems to dismantle barriers.

From our research and our work supporting schools around the world, we’ve come to believe that two defining characteristics that make this ideal possible are:

1. Student agency and ownership, and 
2. A culture of innovation and entrepreneurship

In the ideal American education, student agency goes beyond offering a choice of classes or projects. It’s about empowering students to have a voice, shoulder leadership, and take responsibility for their learning journey while equipping them with the skills needed to responsibly exercise that agency. 

Empowering classrooms are often designed to encourage students to set goals, ask questions, and chart their own paths. One of our favorite examples of this is Red Bridge Schools, who are doing phenomenal work in cultivating student agency by giving learners authentic ownership over their education. They define agency as a combination of will and skill. Their approach is a model for how empowering students can transform school culture and outcomes.

Even when schools follow nationally or state-mandated standards, there is usually room for interpretation and personalization. This reflects a deeper cultural belief: that education should empower individuals to shape their future, not just absorb what’s handed down.

We’ve seen students challenge ideas, advocate for causes they care about, and seek feedback proactively. Classrooms value participation over passive listening. It’s common to hear students ask, “Can I try it this way?” or offer up their own thinking and have that welcomed. This mindset fosters critical thinking, creativity, and self-directed learning, all pillars of student agency that research shows lead to higher engagement and achievement.

And this mindset isn’t limited to academics. It shows up in how clubs are formed, after-school programs evolve, or even which sports are offered. We’ve watched students petition for programs, request teachers to advise new clubs, and propose initiatives rooted in their lived experiences. At its best, this is student ownership in action.

Another hallmark of American education is its embrace of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Schools aren’t just places for rote learning; they are incubators for new ideas, new ways of teaching, and new ways of thinking.

Take the rise of  “makerspaces”, for example. These hands-on labs where students build, tinker, and create didn’t come from top-down mandates—they grew organically from schools asking, “What if we let kids design and experiment?”

This spirit spills over beyond STEM or business classes. It influences how schools organize, how educators approach their craft, and how students are encouraged to question the status quo. Failure isn’t feared; it’s seen as part of learning and growth.

American schools often lead in adopting educational movements like personalized learning, social-emotional learning, and deeper learning models. We’ve seen it firsthand in places like Da Vinci Schools, where students tackle real-world challenges through project-based learning that pushes their creativity and problem-solving skills.

Their success highlights why American education often leads in new educational movements. We see this in our work with AscendNow to design entrepreneurship programs for ElevateED in Florida, blending innovation with practical skills that prepare students to lead in a rapidly changing world. These collaborations show how entrepreneurial thinking is becoming a core part of American education’s future.

What “American education” means isn’t set in stone. It’s a living, breathing concept that changes with the times. As schools worldwide rethink what education should be, the American model carries both promise and responsibility.

At its best, American education inspires—not because of any one curriculum or policy, but because of a shared belief that every child deserves the agency to lead and the freedom to imagine something new.

If you want to understand American education today, look past programs and policies. Look at how students are empowered to own their learning and how schools embrace the courage to innovate. That’s where you’ll find its true heart.

And if you want to read about other travel adventures we have had, you can check out these blogs about visits in Alaska, Luxembourg, Morocco, Bali and more.