Associate Principal, Bridgeport Spaulding Community School District
Bridgeport Spaulding students are transitioning from consumers to producers, applying STEAM knowledge. We shifted focus to becoming problem-solving educators and students. SmartLab Learning shares our belief in nurturing big dreams within our disadvantaged community. This session explores long-term solutions, backed by research, to support student engagement and create world-changing creators.
Focus: Small & rural Districts/Urban School Districts/Diversity, equity, Inclusion/Teaching & Learning/After School/Out of School.
Takeaways:
1. Project-based learning through STEAM Labs can change the lives of learners (Examples of HS students now employed out of school)
2. Investing one-time funding into long-term project-based learning can change the trajectory of students’ lives through the vehicle of student engagement.
3. High-poverty schools benefit from innovative approaches to learning and an alternative to stagnant, traditional learning models.
4. Hands-on learning inspires innovation for students to become problem solvers.
