Giving Compass' Take:

• The Oddessey STEM Academy uses Big Picture Learning model by incorporating internships in its approach and an altSchool platform that helps guide the curriculum. 

• Will more schools begin to follow a similar design of rigorous coursework and internship opportunities? 

• Read about five ideas for the future of education. 

“Strong heart, strong mind, strong will … ODYSSEY!” scholars sang in unison. These are scholars who have been attending the new high school in Paramount USD for just a short 8 weeks.

Patricia, one of the scholars who we had the pleasure of chatting with, relayed that Odyssey STEM Academy and the driving purpose has been a refreshing change for her and that she has never enjoyed and felt belonging to a school this much. Aspiring creative writer, she knows Odyssey is giving her individual attention and support that she wouldn’t have received otherwise.

What’s unique about the Odyssey model? Keith Nuthall and Becky Perez (PUSD graduate) decided that the new high school needed to speak to the community and reflect the needs and desires of those within the four walls as well as the four square miles beyond its walls.

Odyssey also will be the first Big Picture Learning and altSchool inspired high school to date. Students engage in internships in their own community by following the Big Picture model and use the altSchool platform to drive their learning of core content and subjects.

Students engage in projects and use their surroundings, technology and each other to create. They work towards mastering competencies that are expected of each and every graduate. When we stopped in, students in an engineering class were getting immediate feedback on their work and designs.

Read the full article about STEM learning by Emily Liebtag at Getting Smart