Spring Break Trip Allows Urban Students to Learn About the Wildnerness Being a school focused toward at-risk youth who have grown up in an urban centered environment we wanted to design a program that would allow students to experience a meaningful lesson outside of the typical classroom structure. A program director was able to contact […]
Category: Community
Grissom & Southside: Working Together
Students Encouraged to Give Back to Their Community Southside Middle School 7th and 8th grade teachers have implemented a collaborative and cross-curricular program to encourage students to contribute to the growth and development of their community and begin life-long habits of philanthropy. Once each month, students from the 7th and 8th grade honors program at […]
Ultimate Frisbee as Civic Engagement
Playing Ultimate Frisbee Helps Enhance Communication Skills The Ultimate Frisbee Club at Northside Middle School was created after students showed an interest in playing the sport. However, it was selected because many of our students struggle to communicate effectively with peers, as well as adults. They are capable of stating opinions, and willing to argue […]
Turning Caps/Lids into Tables
Children’s Involvement in Collecting Plastic Caps and Creating Tables Enhances Environmental Awareness We first became aware of Green Tree Plastics, Inc. and their ABC Partnership program when two former CUMNS Kids students asked for help in gathering plastic caps and lids for their elementary school’s bench project. As we got involved in helping them, our […]
The Shot Heard Round the Town: Engaging Young Children in the Work of Social Justice
Students Concerns Spark Community Involvement When students became concerned with gunshots they were hearing in their neighborhood, we were called into action. Leaving this teachable moment as just a classroom discussion left us feeling unsatisfied. As early childhood educators, we were not able to give our students the answers they desired on gun violence. We sought […]
Community Inclusion: Bringing a Novel to Life
Using Classic Literature to Inspire Student Success Through Inclusion So many great works of literature connect to universal themes experienced by our students. Students in high school with functional reading levels significantly below their peers need assistance in accessing the literature their peers study in general education high school English classes. Finding time to collaborate […]
Community Support at Wes-Del Elementary
Partnering with Community Organizations Shafer and Smith have partnered with numerous community organizations in an effort to meet the continuing needs of their students. They believe that through this partnership, their students will not only be supported academically, but will have both physical and emotional needs met as well. Submitted by: Tracy Shafer and Rachel […]
The Community in the School
Students and School Staff Give Back to Their Community The school relies on active parental involvement, supported by the people, places and things of the community. The whole community is a component of the school’s programming with place-based learning activities. The students and school staff give back to their community. Submitted by: Susie Pierce, Rural […]
All Pro Dad’s Breakfast Program
Fathers Join Children for a Monthly Breakfast at School This practice is encouraging and increasing parental involvement by creating a forum for fathers to connect with their children. During this time, fathers and children set monthly goals for spending time together and sharing their feelings for each other. Fathers are given strategies for becoming the […]
Academic Field Trips: Gettysburg, Mt. Vernon and Washington, D.C.
Field Trips as a Learning Experience The world is your classroom. Learning can—and should—happen everywhere. But valuable learning experiences outside the classroom require planning, execution and follow up in addition to financial resources. Convincing a principal or superintendent that the experience is valuable is not always easy. But Despite these challenges, a carefully planned and […]
Aluminum Can Recycling
Children Learning About Recycling as They Help the Ronald McDonald House Our 4/5s preschool class collects, crushes and recycles aluminum cans. Can crushing is an active center in our classroom each day. Our children learn to work together to achieve a common goal, and take pride in their accomplishments. Learning to recycle and care for their environment […]
Utilizing Expeditionary Learning
Expeditionary Learning Creates Positive Changes Utilizing Expeditionary Learning as the structure of my teaching has achieved incredible results. In an Expeditionary Learning model, each semester, the teacher creates and executes an expedition. The expedition is standards-based, hands-on, and community focused. It is grounded in either science or social studies standards and acts as the integrated […]