All educators know that the more you engage students by making a classroom experience interesting and accessible, the more likely they are to learn. Adding a healthy dose of “fun” to the mix exponentially increases those chances.
EcoRise’s school program was created with the knowledge that today’s youth are inundated with stimuli and that teachers have a very short window of opportunity in which to gain – and keep – students’ attention. Post-program surveys, student portfolios and classroom observation show that the EcoRise lesson plans work. Look at some of the photos and video below from previous Student Showcases and you’ll get a good idea that the hands-on projects weren’t all work and no play. The students used an approach that included identifying and understanding a customer’s need, prototyping and modeling ideas on limited resources and marketing their products to the public. In other words, they got their hands dirty, created something that could make a positive impact in the world and had fun while doing it.
On November 13th you can see what our future innovators are up to. Cooper Askins, science teacher at Fulmore Middle School in Austin, will accompany his students as they show off their upcycled products at the school’s science night showcase. Check our blog and Facebook pages in a few weeks for highlights of the student projects.,
