“The World is Just Awesome”: How Brandon Barth Inspires Independence High Students Beyond the Classroom

October 16th, 2024 /
Spencer Tuinei /
Independence High, News, Secondary Schools

Independence High School is unique in many ways. As the district’s only alternative public school, it serves a diverse student body, with 63% of students from underrepresented backgrounds and 54% from economically disadvantaged households. It requires the oversight from a few of our best teachers—like Brandon Barth, Independence High science teacher.

Barth is one such guide worthy of championing the Independence name; for students who can arrive feeling defeated or disoriented, Barth offers a steady presence that guides them through the sometimes turbulent waters of high school, helping them look up, experience new spaces, and build self-belief in their independence to explore the world beyond their door.

In interviews with our Communications team, many young students graduating Independence High shared that Brandon Barth is their favorite teacher. To quote one previous graduate, “Barth is a cool guy—this might be corny, but I honestly think about life differently after his class.” After visiting his classroom, I found it easy to understand what the student meant.

Barth’s classroom is all tall vaulted ceilings and windows. Cosmically large images of galaxies, stars, and planets span his walls. Sitting in his classroom, you’re reminded how expansive and inspiring the world can be. Before opening their notebooks, Barth encourages students to look up, look out, and imagine the world beyond their immediate realities.

Barth’s classroom design reflects his teaching philosophy: expansive, open, and full of possibilities. But it’s not just about the space itself. Barth extends this sense of wonder beyond the classroom walls through real-world experiences that make learning tangible– and it starts on day one.

“My most important thing is that I know who you are and know your name, and I’ve memorized it. I want you to feel you can approach me with anything,” Barth explains, sharing how he prepares for students. “Once they know they’re in a safe space, they start to ask questions. And that’s when the real learning begins.”

This personalized attention and genuine care make his classroom a safe harbor where students feel supported and seen.

Barth’s curriculum, then, weaves lessons on environmental science, conservation, and space exploration, helping students connect heady and nebulous concepts to down-to-earth, real-world issues. By encouraging hands-on exploration and critical thinking, Barth equips students with skills they can use long after they leave his class.

Each year, Barth leads students on trips to the Clark Planetarium and local national parks like Timpanogos Cave National Monument. “For many of these kids, this is their first time doing something like this,” Barth shares. “Some of them have never been on a hike, never been camping, never been to a planetarium. They’ve never really been anywhere beyond their neighborhood.”

Barth notes that he cares deeply that the students utilize the curricular skills found in his course. Yet, his hope for graduating students is more essential and enduring.

“I tell them my motto: ‘The world is just awesome,'” Barth says. “I just want them to look around the world, have that wonder, and say, ‘Wow, look at that.’ Or, ‘what is that? I wonder about it. I want to know more.” I want them to know there’s so much more than just on your phone.”

Through every field trip, class discussion, and new topic he introduces, Barth continues to serve as a guiding light, helping students look up and set their sights on horizons. In a place like Independence High School, that kind of vision can change everything.

Thank you, Barth, for helping our kids see the world around them with wonder.