The Innovation Fellowship (TIF) is an independent international high school in the heart of Shibuya, Tokyo. TIF engages students with individualized learning opportunities designed to maximize their life success, ignite their passions in collaboration with peers, and enable them to utilize their inner excellence to create value in society through their education. The school offers a dynamic and rigorous curriculum that exceeds Common Core standards and culminates in an American high school diploma.
Through project, inquiry, and problem-based learning, students bring their authentic interests to real-world issues, designing interdisciplinary solutions and developing the skills crucial for admission to their best-fit university. Grounded in a commitment to student-centric pedagogy, TIF fosters student engagement and happiness while preparing them to achieve academic and professional excellence. TIF is a candidate for accreditation by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) and is designated by College Board School Code 664040.
| Number of students |
We currently have 9 students (2024-2025) in our second year since our school's founding and will continue to grow each year. |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
As an international school we have students of many nationalities. |
| Native English speaking teachers |
Yes, our program is taught in English and all teachers are native English speakers. |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
We do not offer extra classes at this time. English fluency is required to join the school. |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
- |
| Max. number of students per class |
Our maximum number of students is 10 students to a class. |
| Average number of students per class |
5 students / class. |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
Technology is integrated into all aspects of our curriculum. |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
We are equipped to use virtual classroom technologies as needed. |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
There is no limitation on what religion a student is able to practice privately, but religion is not practiced at TIF as part of our curriculum. |
| External examinations or assessments available |
We are an AP school and our students will complete AP exams and the SATs prior to graduation. |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
We aim to complete the curriculum during school hours and do not assign homework. However students often continue to work on their projects outside of school out of their own interest. |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
We do not have specialized staff or specialized programs to support children with special learning needs at this time. |
| The school supports gifted, able and talented students |
Our school is especially equipped to support gifted, able and talented students. Our curriculum is completely personalized to each student so each student is able to go at their own pace and realize their full potential. |
| Entry evaluation for students |
We do not have an entrance exam. Our screening process currently involves an application questionnaire, a student interview, and a campus visit to ensure the student is a good-fit for our school curriculum and environment. |
| Brief description of entry evaluation required |
During the interviews we are looking for students who are curious, self-driven, compassionate and desire to make a change in the world. We are also looking for strong alignment from both parents and students with the mission and values of our school. |
| Waiting list |
Not at this time. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
We have rolling admissions and are able to accept new students at any time in the year. |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes, we can fully support students to join an academic year that has already started. |
| School start time |
Our school starts at 8:30am. |
| School finish time |
Our school finishes at 3:30pm. |
| Supervised care before/after school |
Students are able to stay on campus with their parent's permission as late as 8:00pm. |
| School bus service available |
There is no school bus services, but our school is a 5 minute walk from Shibuya station. |
| School provided lunches |
Our school currently does not provide lunches for the students. Students can bring their own lunch or access food services nearby the campus. |
| Uniform required |
Students are not required to wear a uniform and can wear whatever they like as long as it is not inappropriate. |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
Our school facilitates students to access extracurricular activities and clubs from various external organizations around Tokyo. |
| Facilities at the school |
Our school facilitates students to access external high quality facilities as needed/desired. |
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
The Innovation Fellowship (TIF) is a new international high school for students who want to become successful in life by doing work that is meaningful to them. Whereas traditional high school offers a standardized curriculum requiring students to study generic content at an inflexible pace, The Innovation Fellowship offers a personalized curriculum tailored to each student's interests and shaped by their real-world projects. |
| Teaching approach of the school |
Unlike a traditional high school where students receive instruction from subject-area experts who distribute siloed knowledge, students at The Innovation Fellowship receive holistic guidance from experienced coaches and mentors who support the success of their interdisciplinary projects. |
Our personalized curriculum at TIF is tailored to each student's interests and shaped by their real-world projects.
Where traditional high school offers a standardized curriculum requiring students to study generic content at an inflexible pace, The Innovation Fellowship offers a personalized curriculum tailored to each student’s interests and shaped by their real-world projects. To cover all college requirements, there are three pillars to our curriculum:
• Project-Based Learning (Innovation & Entrepreneurship and General Electives)
• Problem-Based Learning (Math and Science)
• Inquiry Based Learning (English and Social Studies)
In collaboration with Tokyu and in the spirit of entrepreneurship, our campus is in the Plug and Play Innovation Center, a 5-minute walk from Shibuya station. Students will work in a modern, open-space environment around other startups while also having access to a dedicated space.
On December 2nd, 2023, we held our first ever public event - “TIF Demo Day”. We were fortunate to have over a 100 guests register, and we are so grateful to everyone who joined us. For those who are interested in what we are doing at TIF, please check out the full recording below. You will find presentations by the school's educators about everything that makes TIF unique, and most excitingly, you can watch our students demo their projects!