Teachers identified a fetid pond as the focal point for the first Full-Circle Learning project in the Bronx. How could students apply multiple skills to create a change in their local park?
Teachers at Paul Robeson Middle School 203 came up with the topic in a breakout session while training in Full-Circle Learning strategies in the winter of 2008-2009. Later in class, students discussed ways to integrate their habits-of-heart and their core content to improve their local environment. Some had never traveled by subway to leave their local community, so creating widespread change came as a welcome idea. Guest presenters assisted the process.
After evaluating ways to expand the pilot project, district leaders called to schedule more project-based learning workshops, open to all a broader range of New York middle schools.