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News & Information
Charter School Teaches Real World Concepts Through Project-Based Education
December 22, 2005
The middle school years are a time of challenge for most adolescents...and the instructors who teach them. Young teens and older "tweens" experience a number of distractions on a daily basis. Staying focused and keeping interested can also be a challenge-particularly when it comes to schoolwork. But a State College-based charter school has discovered the secret in getting students excited about learning and keeping them engaged throughout their academic journeys.
The Centre Learning Community Charter School (CLC) is an independently operated public middle school that educates students in grades 5-8. Founded in 1998, CLC provides a small school environment with an emphasis on technology and project-based learning. Students remain with the same teachers through two year cycles: grades 5 and 6, and grades 7 and 8. This enables teachers to better nurture students through their critical younger adolescent years, and provides students with greater emotional security as they progress through their middle school education.
Project-based learning is the core of CLC's curriculum. Based on "real world" projects that integrate a variety of knowledge and skills, this method of teaching engages students and lets them experience education through hands-on learning. CLC students create museums, educational games, movies, and other projects that reflect real occupations, businesses, and interests. Students work on their projects for two hours each morning and another two hours during the afternoons.
"Most public schools are by nature unable to provide significant blocks of time for projects," said CLC cofounder Dr. Mark Toci. "But we've discovered that project-based learning draws out students' creativity, keeps them interested in their schoolwork, and through hands-on experience, helps them to better retain principles taught in textbooks."
A recent CLC project challenged students to build a full-size miniature golf course. While most students had experienced the pleasure of miniature golfing, none realized the intense effort and planning that is required when constructing a course. But the students learned quickly as they created designs, projected budgets, and built the course. During the project, the students used knowledge and skills drawn from classroom instruction and textbook study to include reading, writing, math, the arts, and social studies. The finished product looked like it was created by the pros.
Students also spend time at home engaged in their school projects. CLC provides each student with computer access, both at the school and at the student's home. Two desktop computers or one laptop is provided to each student and is funded by the school. Each student is provided space on CLC's servers for his or her individual websites-a project that keeps them busy both during the day and during their own free time at home.
"CLC's project-based approach to education keeps students engaged in and excited about their studies beyond the confines of the school day," said Toci. "They are truly interested in their work and are dedicated to what they do. Their experiences at CLC are building the foundation for strong character and work ethic that will help them succeed in the real world."
For more information about the Centre Learning Community Charter School, visit www.clccharter.org.
More than 50,000 students are enrolled in Pennsylvania's 114 charter schools throughout the Commonwealth. These schools include a host of distinctive missions: early childhood enrichment, specific academic disciplines, high achievement, core knowledge, technology, project based learning, special needs education, gifted education, community service and more. For more information on charter school opportunities within Pennsylvania, log on to www.pachartercoaltion.com.
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