Co-Designed Learning

What happens when we sit students down with their educators to plan, together, their unit of studies? This was the exact plan at Le Bocage International School where I spent three days with an extraordinairy group of teachers and students doing just that. Creating prototypes. Pitching their prototypes (to students and adults) they went through a design-like process to formulate their own learning plan. Add to that they created agreements and a template for review (by and for students) to continue to adjust their learning journeys!

Changemaker Education @ ASD

What do you do when you're surrounded by great professionals passionate about their work?  You bring it all together!  Identifying key confluences between our programs - sustainability, service learning and global citizenship - we were able to focus our work on that 'why', the 'what' and the 'how' to define and develop the scope and nature of our work. The final result:  Changemaker Education at the American School of Dubai!

Middle School Sustainability Summit

The Summit brings together over 250 Grade 6 and Grade 7 student participants tackling the global issues of our time. In groups of 10-20 students, each focusing on a Sustainable Development Goal, students participate in systems thinking workshops, connect with experts, participate in workshops related to the SDG, and take informed action addressing the issue at hand. The Summit also cultivates the leadership capacity of Grade 8 students who co-facilitate the Summit activities in facilitator teams with faculty. 

Curricular Infusion of the Sustainable Development Goals

Working with K-12 teachers to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are addressed through personal connections to student learning. The focus is on "think global (SDGs), "act local" (community engagement and informed action) with connections and ongoing reflection.

Bee Garden & Pollinator Learning Space

Supported our Edible Education program in providing resources for a grade 2 pollinator service learning unit on supporting pollinators. Over three years the experience transformed from talking about pollinators, to planting pollinator-friend plants, to building a garden to creating a Bee Garden on our school campus

Global Pathways Project

Supported our Middle School Week Without Walls experience by infusing SDGs and systems thinking and service learning elements allowing students to generated a deeper understand of the communities they visit (around the world) and then focus on local action in support of global issues. 

Self-Directed Project

Collaborated on the creating of a Self Directed project utilizing the service learning process for personal informed action. Course development , process and assessments all focused on individualized learning, connecting personal action to a global context (through the SDGs) and making authentic impact. 

Experiential Service Learning

I have coordinated student groups engaging in local community organizations by infusing the service learning process into the way our volunteer-based and service-based week without walls type programs are executed. 

Internship Program

Co-developed an internship program for High School students. Allowed for experience to be inquiry focused and supported deeper learning the formal and informal reflection in a setting that supports the passions of our students. 

Student-Initiated Service Learning Projects

Utilizing students interests and skills I have supported numerous projects varying from a campus composting program (though advisory) to banning plastic water bottles to supporting beach clean-ups and volunteer experiences. 

Service Learning Coaching & Capacity Building

Focusing on instructional methodology, I worked with cohorts or teachers to more deeply embed service into their learning activities and focused on their capacity building as a means of transmission of culture in our faculty. Facilitating professional training, coaching and supporting with resources and partnerships allowed for a more robust experience for students engaged in authentic learning. 

The UAE Schools Changemaker Collaborative

Collaborating with the JUMP! Foundation and the American Community School of Abu Dhabi we developed a foundational group of students aimed at collaborating for the better of the community and nation. Entirely self-regulated, the students have established a platform and mission statement for moving forward and meet monthly to determine next steps in engaging the wider community in collaborative change-making opportunities. 

Transforming Our World

A one day student facilitated conference focused on providing solutions to the Sustainable Development Goals. Students were trained by JUMP! Foundation and workshops and community sessions were facilitated exclusively by students for students