October 17, 2024

Dear Educator,

This week, I sat down with one of my favorite humans, Sandy Cima, for the latest episode of The Learner-Centered Collaborative Podcast. Sandy has never been a formal educator or school leader but is heavily invested in the K-12 education system as a parent of two elementary kids and Director of People & Business Operations at LCC!

During our conversation, Sandy talked about the impactful ways her son’s teacher stoked the curiosity of young learners by having family members sign up as mystery readers and how her daughter’s teacher facilitated engaging community exploration projects.

I've been reflecting on how these types of community-based experiences happen far less for learners in the middle and high school years despite their developing identities and desire to learn more about the world around them. This is why I always love to see examples of community partnerships, career explorations, internships, and authentic learning opportunities for young adolescents and teens to learn and make an impact.

My Bright Spot this week highlights how community projects can inspire high schoolers to learn and contribute—even on the weekend.

With Gratitude,

Combining Real Fun With Real Learning

After a pandemic hiatus, Matt (my amazing husband and chemistry teacher) revived the soap project in his 10th-grade chemistry class. After learning how to make soap, and figuring out how to market and sell it, 10th graders at High Tech High International set up a booth at their first street fair. I stopped by to check it out, and they were so excited and proud of their soap.

We chatted about which colors and scents were the best. Roxy shared that “being able to make the soap ourselves makes me feel independent and productive. It’s a cool opportunity to show we can be responsible young adults. It’s unlike any project I’ve done before.”

The soap project is great because it combines real fun with real learning. Roe acknowledged that “soap making isn't just soap making, it's blending and combining chemicals to create a useful product. It's a lesson in taking things into your own hands and creating.” Authentic, community-based projects are not just about the academic content, it is about building learners' curiosities, skills, and confidence to make an impact now and in the future.

Measure what matters and tell a powerful story in your school or district

Our Scorecard Guide introduces a powerful tool for measuring and communicating educational progress beyond traditional metrics, aligned with whole-learner outcomes in a learner-centered paradigm. This guide provides a comprehensive framework for designing, implementing, and leveraging Scorecards to drive continuous improvement, engage stakeholders, and tell your school or district's unique story of success.

Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

📖 Building Relational Trust: Our Journey with Lamont Elementary School District. "In California’s Central Valley, Lamont Elementary School District is redefining what’s possible in education. Serving over 3,000 students, many from low-income backgrounds and a high percentage of English Language Learners, Lamont faced unique challenges. But under Superintendent Dr. Lori Gonzalez’s leadership and in partnership with Learner-Centered Collaborative (LCC), these challenges became opportunities for growth." Read Lamont's story.

🎙️ Episode 34: Families and Caregivers Empowering Teachers with Sandy Cima. "The amount of joy that it gives us as parents to hear from teachers in those few minutes that you provide is priceless." Listen to The Learner-Centered Collaborative Podcast

🖥️ WEBINAR: Creating Coherence and Aligning Systems Towards a Learner-Centered Vision. "Learn how to create a cohesive roadmap that aligns your entire organization towards common goals. We'll explore techniques for identifying key priorities, setting actionable objectives, aligning success metrics, and fostering a shared vision." Register here.