Giving Compass' Take:

• Erin Gohl explains how Big Picture Learning engages students in real-world opportunities tailored to their interests to help them develop their passions.

• How can traditional schools incorporate real-world experiences into their curricula? How can philanthropy help to refine and implement this model?

• Learn how schools are engaging students through project-based learning. 

Isabel, currently a rising 11th grader, did fine at her traditional middle school. Her academic performance required no intervention nor curricular acceleration. Though her parents regularly asserted that she was smart and capable, she questioned whether that was true given infrequent and mediocre feedback received from outside her family structure.

When she entered high school, Isabel grew frustrated by working hard on schoolwork that was absent meaning or connection. Uninspired by what she was learning, Isabel began feeling uncertainty, anxiety, and depression about being in high school. Conversations with her guidance counselor helped her transfer her enrollment to an innovation high school in her district where coursework was driven by student interest and included engaging in an internship as part of the academic curriculum.

Motivated by a lifelong interest in science, after exploring a number of possible opportunities, Isabel secured an internship position at a local laboratory that does complex testing of water samples from all over the United States. Through her work there, Isabel learned lab techniques and protocols, was trained on highly technical equipment for scientific testing, and collaborated with colleagues on a variety of projects. Isabel leveraged her internship experience into a paid summer job at the same laboratory, where she is working as part of a team spearheading new techniques for identifying bacteria in water.

Big Picture is a school design network that has been a leader for student-centered learning opportunities in real-world environments paired with strong mentors for more than two decades.

Read the full article about Big Picture Learning by Erin Gohl at Getting Smart.