Welcome

Last year's trip to Costa Rica showed us that education can, and should, be a life-altering experience. This year, a largely new group of students, have decided to learn about and travel to Puerto Rico. With this new topic and destination in mind, we have developed a year-long interdisciplinary class that is based on the same three core principles:

1) Travel to expand students' horizons
2) An explicit connection between the classroom and real world
3) The use of sweat equity for students to see that their efforts can make a difference

During the early fall, the curriculum was largely focused on developing the 21st Century Skills of problem solving, critical thinking, decision-making, and collaboration. This was initially done using group challenges in the classroom, but then became vitally important once we started raking lawns. In addition to being our major fundraiser, this hard work put students in positions that required group problem solving, as well as perseverance and responsibility – traits that we all know are central to changing the trajectory of their lives.

During the winter and spring, each student will be developing an independent research project on a chosen aspect of Puerto Rico. We hope that you will keep checking back as we share our learning, growth and adventures.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Nakita's Reflection

What I got out of the Lister Leaf Busters is …..

When I first started with leaf busters I was excited, but only because we were going to Puerto Rico. I did not really understand how much hard work we would be doing. In the beginning I was like “eh this is no big deal, whatever I can do this no problem.” As time went on I started thinking to myself “what have I gotten myself into?..” There was so much raking, no matter what the weather was, and I started to not care anymore. I always kept saying that I didn’t want to do it anymore and/or I can’t do this.
What I have learned is that giving up is no option. I made a commitment and I had to fulfill it. Everyone in this class is my family - at first they were just my peers, but as time went on we have bonded and have come so close. I have learned that I can push myself to do anything that I set my mind to. This is pretty much an outline of life. I tell myself that it is just preparing me for the real world. I get support when I need it from pretty much everyone.
I am ready to go the distance and more, and I cannot wait to go to Puerto Rico.
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