Citizen Schools
Citizen Schools
Catalyst Program Transforms the Way Students Learn
Traditional teaching methods may no longer be all that young people need to thrive and succeed in school, work and life today. Through a new multi-year grant from All Points North Foundation, Citizen Schools’ Catalyst Program will expand its footprint transforming the way students learn.
Originally launched in 2020 with the support of All Points North Foundation, the Catalyst Program is grounded in 30 years of facilitating experiential learning opportunities in public schools. Catalyst empowers educators to be agents of change, creating unique and memorable learning experiences for their students and cultivating collaboration with students, educators, administrators, and community volunteers.
The grant will support Catalyst workshops that introduce educators to the fundamentals of experiential learning and intensive professional courses that cover planning, coaching, and classroom implementation. The program is designed to build skills in creating authentic experiential learning tailored to the unique needs, skills, and interests of their students.
Catalyst will also engage and train business and community volunteers to work directly with schools to bring real world application and context to students’ learning. Mentor credentialing will be offered to volunteers to partner on future projects.
Long before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the system was failing students, especially those in underserved and impoverished communities. With Catalyst, teachers are prepared to deliver authentic experiential learning in their classrooms that awaken creativity, curiosity, compassion and community among all students. When students actively engage in the classroom, they build critical social-emotional learning skills, deepen their connection to teachers and school – and achieve academic success that can ultimately lead to life success.
For more information: www.citizenschools.org
Photo credit: Citizen Schools
All Points North Foundation provides grants for U.S.-based projects and initiatives that support our priorities: improving public middle school education and teacher training, and implementing effective solar programs and/or projects.
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