This article is written by Students at the Center Distinguished Fellow Dr. Frank LaBanca, principal of Westside Middle School Academy Magnet, as part of volume 10 of the educational journal LEARNing Landscapes. The article highlights his successes and challenges as principal of a start-up urban magnet middle school committed to a student-centered inquiry-based learning environment that values extended project-based learning. To create this type of environment for students, community partners and members are invited to work with the school to shape authentic learning experiences.
These case stories document community-school partnerships that allow community members to showcase their own talents, skills, and knowledge, and enable students to experience deeper, more relevant learning. The stories provide snapshots of actual project-based learning opportunities and can easily be shared as part of a conversation about improving school-community engagement.
Source Organization: Learning Landscapes