[Silver City, New Mexico] –– Aldo Leopold Charter School is one of fourteen schools across the nation to be awarded a LRNG Innovation Challenge Grant from the National Writing Project (NWP) to develop, pilot, and share promising strategies to strengthen connected and deeper learning. The LRNG Innovation Challenge is a new program sponsored in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation and John Legend's Show Me Campaign.
LRNG is a new initiative that invests in forward-looking schools and teachers to design innovative projects that take advantage of new technology to support students' creativity.
"The LRNG partners were impressed by Aldo Leopold Charter School because of their teacher-led commitment to ensuring that young people become the problem solvers of the future", stated NWP executive director, Elyse Eidman-Aadahl. "We are pleased to support their innovation and sharing their story with schools across the country."
Aldo Leopold plans to use the new funds to expand time and space for young people in our community to engage in production-centered, interest-driven learning by coordinating community wide afterschool programs and an eight week "Summer of Science" program that is focusing on STEM education. These programs will be based on the school's experience and expertise in developing, implementing and evaluating engaging hands on learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math and their ability to work effectively with several diverse and supportive community partners throughout the county.
"Out of school time, STEM Education is a fantastic way to engage students in math and science in fun and creative ways" stated Eric Ahner, Director of Aldo Leopold Charter School. "Our teachers and staff can work with our community partners to help them enhance their current programs and reach many more youth in our community and to help them become enthusiastic learners."
Funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Show Me Campaign, and individual donors, the LRNG grantees will develop, pilot and share promising teacher-powered strategies and solutions to strengthen connected and deeper learning for the widest range of young people. To learn more about LRNG and the grantees, visit http://www.educatorinnovator.org/LRNG2014/
Aldo Leopold Charter School provides an engaging and challenging educational program emphasizing direct experience, inquiry learning, stimulation of the creative process, and stewardship of our community and natural environment. Their faculty is recognized nationally as being inovative and impactful because of their integrated aproach to teaching and their ability to incorporate direct experieince with classroom learning. The school has been in operation since 2014 and is a New Mexico Public Schools Charter School.
Remarkably, Aldo Leopold Charter School was one of fourteen schools selected along with several large urban schools and school districts. Here is the list of 2014-2015 LRNG Innovation Challenge Grant Awardees:
Digital Arts/Media Production: Kenilworth Junior High School, Petaluma, CA
Passion Project: Liberty Elementary School, Riverside, CA
Supporting Students: Critical Design and Gaming School, Los Angeles, CA
We, Too, Are Connecticut: Staples HS, Joel Barlow HS, HS School, Bassick HS, Darien HS, Brien McMahon HS, Fairfield, CT
Tilden Talks: Tilden Career Community Academy, Chicago, IL
Learning Studio with iPads: Eastern Heights Elementary School, St. Paul, MN
Making Our Worlds: JM Alexander MS, Randolph MS, , Kannapolis MS, Charlotte, NC
Pop Up and Make: J.H. Rose High School, Greenville, NC
Summer of Science STEM Labs: Aldo Leopold Charter School, Silver City, NM
Maker Rings: The Birch School, Circleville, NY
Connected Learning & Youth Participatory Action Research: School 127, Bronx, NY
International Community Voices: International Community High School, Bronx, NY
Linked Communities & STEM: Central Catholic High School, Pittsburgh, PA
Real World Histories: Center for Inspired Teaching, Washington, DC