Giving Compass' Take:

•  In this episode of the podcast, Tom Vander Ark talks learner experience with leaders from Washington state. He focuses on three small community connected, experiential schools in Tacoma, WA. One of which can be found in a zoo.

• How can learning inside a zoo enhance a student's project-based learning experience? 

• Read about the six criteria necessary for high-quality project-based learning. 

We began a beautiful May day face to face with a Bengal Tiger. Our student tour guides from the Science and Math Institute (SAMi), one of three small community connected experiential high schools in Tacoma, introduced us.

Launched in a storefront in 2002 on the main drag, the first school in the network was School of the Arts (SOTA). John Kettler had a vision for a school that used downtown Tacoma as the classroom. Partnerships with three museums, theaters, businesses and UW Tacoma, provides students with a variety of authentic community connected learning experiences (see feature).

In 2009, Tacoma Public Schools opened SAMi in portable buildings in the woods near the zoo. Last year they added the Industrial Design Engineering and Art (iDEA) to the mix. The three schools take advantage of their unique location to provide students with the opportunity to explore passions and connect to the community, in a much deeper and genuine way than you may see at most high schools.

Listen to the podcast about learning at the zoo by Tom Vander Ark at Getting Smart