Heating up: the 乐播传媒 partnership with expeditionary learning at Lewiston Middle School
Located just across the street from the 乐播传媒 campus, Lewiston Middle School has long been an important partner for the Harward Center and the College. 乐播传媒 students taking Education courses are hosted by LMS teachers in their classrooms every semester; 乐播传媒 clubs and teams develop one-time and ongoing opportunities for middle school students; and each year we host several Aspirations Days during which we invite middle schoolers to 乐播传媒 for a day of college aspirations-focused activities. Recently, our partnership has taken an exciting leap, thanks to big changes in the Lewiston Middle School curriculum. Starting last spring, teachers are moving to a curricular approach known as Expeditionary Learning, which is a project-based, hands-on interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning.
In concert聽with several 乐播传媒 faculty members, the Harward Center has responded to these changes with renewed efforts to partner in exciting ways with Lewiston Middle School teachers. For 8th graders, the year at Lewiston Middle School commenced with 鈥淥utbreak,鈥� an expedition that asked students to explore how things go viral–not only the spread of bacteria, viruses, and diseases, but also how social media and technology cause information to 鈥済o viral.鈥� As a part of that expedition, almost 400 8th graders visited the 乐播传媒 campus where, among other things, they learned about a recent mumps outbreak on several college campuses, including at 乐播传媒. For an upcoming expedition, 鈥淩ules to Live By,鈥� 乐播传媒 students from an Education course on adolescent literacy will help middle schoolers explore issues related to social justice and equity through various media, including fiction, autobiography, and slam poetry.
Additionally, STEM faculty at 乐播传媒 are building strong partnerships with STEM teachers at the middle school, to the benefit of students at both institutions. In the fall semester, students from a course called 鈥淪cience Communication,鈥� taught by biology professor Andrew Mountcastle, developed highly engaging presentations for middle school students on complicated science topics such as cell structure and function; nuclear energy; and momentum. Also in the fall, students in a marine science course taught by Professor Katie Dobkowski created interactive games and activities to help middle schoolers understand a variety of topics related to marine ecology, including the function of whale blubber, the use of camouflage in helping animals avoid predators, and the important role parasites play in a marine ecosystem. Professor Dobkowski is already planning another event for middle school students in the upcoming Winter term, and other 乐播传媒 STEM faculty are planning possible presentations for middle schoolers.
As this partnership continues to grow, we also recognize the hard work and dedication the middle school teachers put into their work with our community鈥檚 youth. To show our appreciation for LMS teachers, the Harward Center worked with the 乐播传媒 Men鈥檚 Football Team to plan a Teacher Appreciation Day, in which we invited middle school teachers and their families to join us for a football game in October, where we publicly recognized the critical work they do.
On behalf of the College, the Harward Center is excited to continue partnering with our friends and colleagues across the street on programs and initiatives, old and new, that grow our community.