Taking on the challenge of merging college courses with project based learning.

Many of us can recall the overwhelming nervousness of our first day of high school; call to mind, the stress of finding your first class, or securing a place to eat lunch, and who can forget the dreaded PE class! Those days are becoming less common as a new educational revolution takes over: early college. Early college is an unconventional approach to education. Through the Early College High School Initiative students have the opportunity to achieve an associate degree or equivalent college credit upon high school graduation. This is achieved through a tailored curriculum. A very popular approach is project based learning. Early College Opportunities Applied Science High School (ECO), located here in Santa Fe, has taken on the challenge of merging an early college initiative with a project based learning approach.
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Students at ECO started their first day of school window shopping through subject areas to build their schedule for the semester. Subject areas include:

• Auto tech,
• Auto collision,
• Sustainable technologies,
• Construction,
• Welding,
• Greenhouse management/aquaponics,
• Environmental science & natural resource management.
  
  

Teachers worked tirelessly the previous week putting together interactive projects in each subject for students to engage in. Simulating a passport, students toted a catalog comprised of subject paraphernalia produced to entice students into choosing a particular subject. As students completed the day, a stamp or sticker from a teacher designated rite of passage to the next subject. At the end of the week students would identify their top three areas of interest and be divvied up into projects.

After observing such a harmonious catalyst for the new school year, one would wonder what is behind this project based learning voodoo. I thought I would pick the brain of Dana Richards, acting principal of ECO, to share how his vision evolved. Turns out, there is some sanity to this madness.

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“Only in context do we Master the task.”
                                                          - Dana Richards

There is lingering thought that some kids are not college material. Dana challenges that stigma, acknowledging that all students are college material.  At ECO, multiple learning strategies and behaviors are valued and used as a strength to resolve meaningful problems. How does this work? The first step is redefining college by integrating more applied science and career connection at an early stage. ECO has achieved this by formulating a schedule for students that incorporates both components. Two hours and 35 minutes is the time block that is given for project centered integrated grouping. If that is not already interesting, it gets better! Class blocks are comprised of multiple grade levels. Thus, 9th-11th grades are intermixed. The return benefit is simulation of real world work environments, supplementary time for skill development, and additionally, it is a learning opportunity for the teacher to become more skilled in the PBL methodology. 

Did you catch that last line? It is a learning opportunity for the teacher.

Unlike conventional education where courses are segregated, the project based learning design promotes teacher culture by requiring them to collaborate. So, teachers are encouraged to cross disciplines because they are bonded by the students and theme of the project. Ultimately, it challenges both teachers and students to critically think and holistically strategize to promote academic success.
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“First they will ask why you’re doing it; Later they’ll ask how you did it.”
​                   – Unknown

I finalized my discussion with Dana, asking how he did it and what recommendations he might have for those that might have interest in early based college with a project based learning approach. He stressed the rewards are great but planning is an equally great task that requires disciplined work and attention to detail. Using this approach, expect to encounter paradoxes that will challenge the backbone of the model. For instance, the greatest buy-in is for students who already value the opportunity being offered to them. However, the greatest gain is generated from students that are most at risk (drop out, social delinquencies, and other social determinants). In other words, when you have a student who was at risk of going to jail saying “I belong,” one realizes that for many students the greatest gain at ECO is security and belonging. For some youth, that moment of finding belonging, is their first day of school - ever.

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Thank you to Dana Richards for allowing me to highlight ECO. Through early college initiatives and project based learning many youth will find belonging and security that will advance them towards post-secondary and career success. - Vanessa Martinez, AmeriCorps VISTA