Abbotsford students take the lead on a project to transform their school into a 21st-century learning environment.
Submitted. Secondary students at Abbotsford Christian School are inspiring change and taking charge of a plan to transform their school into a leading 21st-century learning environment. The Abbotsford Christian School Student IDEA Team has been touring schools, meeting with architects and consulting with an internationally acclaimed expert on the future of education, in an effort to create an environment that will help to better prepare students for the future. The IDEA team will be presenting their vision for improvements to their school’s design at a presentation on November 25th.
The ACS Student IDEA Team is made up of student volunteers from grades 8 to 12, who meet weekly to learn about innovation, design, education, and architecture. The program is an adaptation of Project Based Learning that includes working with stakeholders, multi-age students, multi-disciplinary focus and an integration of community professionals who guide the team. To date, the students have toured several new schools; had meetings with architects; and have even received input from a world-renowned expert on education reform, Sir Ken Robinson with a video project that they’ll be launching soon to promote the Learning Revolution Abbotsford on January 13.
In 21st century schools, students are said to become makers and learners, teachers become facilitators and activators, and classrooms become learning studios and learning commons. The IDEA team’s goal is to develop recommendations for a renovation of the secondary school that would offer more useful spaces for Project Based Learning and the cultivation of the core competencies of critical thinking, problem solving, communication and creativity. Optimal spaces are considered to be more open, have more natural light and offer many more common, multi-purpose rooms for group work and presentations.
WHAT: ACS Student IDEA Team presentation regarding their vision for a newly designed secondary school that would better facilitate 21st Century learning for generations to come.
WHEN: Thursday, November 24 at 8:15 am
WHERE: Abbotsford Christian School, 35011 Old Clayburn Rd
For more information on the IDEA project, visit http://www.thissquareinch.com/the-project
To learn more about the Learning Revolution Abbotsford with Sir Ken Robinson, visithttp://www.thissquareinch.com/the-event
About Abbotsford Christian School
Since 1953, Abbotsford Christian School has been a leading elementary and secondary school in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The school is committed to faith-centered, 21st Century education that prepares students for the complex demands of the future. ACS offers customized education for each individual student in a challenging, open and courageous environment that nurtures the next generation of leaders. The school recently launched “This Square Inch”, a capital campaign to raise funds for a new secondary school that will better facilitate a variety of learning styles and presentations of that learning for generations to come. ACS secondary students are actively involved in the research and planning of the new school’s design as part of a project based learning opportunity. For more information visit www.abbotsfordchristian.com