Renaissance School is part of a network of Expeditionary Learning (EL) schools that was borne of a collaboration between the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Outward Bound, USA. The EL model is centered on the Outward Bound ethic of having youth work together to achieve a task. EL schools take an approach to teaching and learning that elevates student voice and thinking by using real-world case studies, research projects, and by compelling students to own their learning. While grit and persistence are the noncognitive buzz words we hear most often these days, one rarely mentioned character strength--Material--is at the center of EL schools' success.