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WISE INDIVIDUALIZED SENIOR EXPERIENCE
Submitted by: Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School, Providence, RI
Students enrolled in the Wise Individualized Senior Experience explore
an area of interest by carrying out a project of their own design over
a period of three quarters. The program exposes seniors to the world
beyond school while facilitating the development of higher order thinking
skills through sustained, self-directed learning activities. Reasons for Practice Although the Chamber School had designed its own internship program, it subsequently adopted WISE. Daniel Yates-Berg, the designer of the original program and current WISE Coordinator, explains his reasons for implementing WISE:
The Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School first adopted WISE in 2000/2001.
THE WISE INDIVIDUALIZED Senior Experience (WISE) is a culminating project for high school seniors. Originally developed by teachers at Woodlands High School (NY), WISE has been adopted by a number of other schools, including the Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School (Textron Chamber). While the original programmatic elements remain the same, Textron Chamber has tailored the experience to its local needs. Students enrolled in WISE explore an area of interest by carrying out a project of their own design during the last three quarters of their senior year. Student projects may include internships with local community agencies or businesses, intensive research, or cultural, artistic, or performance-based projects. Because projects extend beyond the classroom, WISE serves as a bridge between the school experience and the larger world. WISE in the second quarter of the senior year, when interested Textron Chamber students design projects according to their own interests and apply to the program by presenting project proposals. While students may choose to explore a potential career field, projects are not necessarily career-oriented. School staff encourages students to select a topic or field that they feel passionately about. Once accepted into the WISE program, students spend time three days per week outside of school either in internships or researching their project topics. Each student has a community sponsor at his or her off-site location as well as an in-school mentor chosen from the Administration or faculty. Outside sponsors are responsible for signing time logs and supporting and advising students. School mentors maintain contact with off-site sponsors and meet weekly with students to review their time logs and journals and to discuss their projects. Students also meet frequently with one another to share their experiences and observations. Because of the focus on individual development of project topics, opportunities for shared reflection, mutual support, and community building are built into the process. Upon completion of their projects, students submit for evaluation their
daily journals and any research they have conducted. In addition, they
present their projects before a panel of students, teachers, and community
members. Program Administration A task force comprised of teachers, administrators, community members, parents, and students is charged with program design and implementation. Three subcommittees make up this task force: Program Design, Community Resources, and Information Documentation. The Community Resource Subcommittee is responsible for setting up opportunities for students in the community, while the Information Documentation Subcommittee creates the assessments, mentor handbooks, sponsor handbooks, and other information resources associated with the senior experience. The WISE Coordinator facilitates task force activities as well as students' in-school activities related to WISE.
Many incoming Textron Chamber students have not had access to opportunities in the larger community and thus possess limited world views. Like Textron Chamber's school to work program, WISE offers students an opportunity to gain a broader perspective and a sense of expanded possibilities for themselves. In addition, students take initiative and become independent learners as they engage in self-directed activities in which they construct, synthesize, and present information over a sustained period of time. In the following passage, Daniel Yates-Berg, WISE Coordinator, describes the personal changes he has observed in WISE students:
Textron/Chamber of Commerce PPCS URL: www.chamberschool.com/index1.htm
Daniel Yates-Berg
Tel: 401-456-1738
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