Urban Traditions

What makes a year at Urban unique? It's not just beloved rituals and all-school celebrations, but city adventures, arts showcases, outdoor trips, and student-led moments that bring the community together all year long.

Since 1966, Urban’s shared moments have been the heartbeat of the school year — experiences that bring students, families, and faculty together in ways that are joyful, creative, and distinctly Urban. That means putting learning, independence, and student accomplishment at the center of everything. Many of these experiences extend beyond campus: Class Days send students out into the city and beyond — kayaking on the Bay, camping on the coast, or discovering new corners of San Francisco together. Student leadership and identity shape the calendar as well, from the Día de los Muertos ofrenda and Holi's festival of colors on our roof, to the Month of Understanding’s conversations, workshops, and assemblies. And each year culminates in Graduation at Stern Grove, when families gather beneath the trees in one of San Francisco’s most beautiful settings to celebrate the graduating class and the journey they’ve shared.

At Urban, we have an unflinching belief in the power of adolescence.”