Most principals admit that despite the huge changes that have taken place in the world over the last 50 years, the education that students receive in today's high schools is remarkably similar to the education that was offered their parents. Educators recognize that changes should occur, but the reality of creating change can be overwhelming. Students complain that there is little relevance between what they learn in schools and their lives--which leads to a disengaged and unmotivated student population. When this author was appointed to be the principal of Telluride (Colorado) High School--a small, high-achieving secondary school--he was not surprised to find that those issues affected his students. In 2007, he and the faculty decided to do something about it. In this article, he describes the Intensive Study Period (ISP) program which is an experiential, project-based approach to learning that is designed to meet the challenge of providing a 21st century education to students by offering a rigorous and relevant curriculum. Their aim is to provide an understanding of the core academic knowledge required for success in college as well as mastery of the process skills that their students will need to experience success in the 21st century. (Contains 1 figure.)