Wednesday Enrichments: RPA's Secret to Student Engagement
Jul 29, 2026 by Laurel Eberhart
Here’s something unique about RPA’s middle school schedule: every Wednesday, the entire school day is dedicated to one thing—enrichments. Just students choosing what genuinely interests them, diving deep, and discovering new passions.
The result? Over 40 electives. Rock Band and Robotics. Graphic Design and Fashion Design. Coding and Chess. Cooking, Creative Writing, Engineering, Leadership, and everything in between. From “Life Hacks & Adulting” to “Stop, Motion, Capture” to “Uncanny: A Supernatural Detective Story,” there’s something for every middle schooler.
Real Learning, Real Experiences
But enrichments at RPA aren’t just feel-good classes. They’re field trips to Lake Billy Chinook where students canoe and hike. They’re trips to JA BizTown where sixth graders run their own businesses and learn economics by living it. They’re walks through the Redmond Public Library where students give real feedback to community leaders. They’re Outdoor Skills classes that head out in a snowstorm to cut Christmas trees, then donate them to the community.
Why This Matters
When students get to choose what they study, everything changes. They show up differently. They’re engaged because they actually care. They’re building confidence in areas they’re genuinely curious about. And they’re discovering talents and interests they might never have found otherwise.
Some students fall in love with robotics. Others discover they’re talented photographers, or natural leaders, or surprising comedians in the improv club. A kid who was nervous about performing finds their voice in choir. Another discovers coding is their thing. Someone else realizes they want to design fashion.
That’s the real magic of enrichments: giving students permission to explore, to try new things, and to become more of who they actually are.
Ready to Find Your Thing?
If your student is looking for a school where they get to choose their path—where education is built around their interests, not just a checklist—RPA’s enrichment program is a big part of why students thrive here.
Apply for Fall 2026 today and discover what’s possible when middle school looks like this.