making learning interesting and relevant

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The curriculum taps into students’ passions and works to strengthen their related skills.
Learning is treated as a participatory process that functions to counter the top-down schooling model that fails to support many of our students’ individual attributes.

Practices for Making Learning Interesting and Relevant:

• Establishing Clear, Transparent Learning Goals.Instructors make learning goals explicit, but not compulsory or punitive. Each day has concrete tasks. Some parts are discussion-based, some are technical, and some are physical and exploratory.

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• Maintaining Open Communication around Goals/Activities. Instructors and staff conduct regular check-ins and provide opportunities to switch if an activity isn’t holding. They engage in conversations and brainstorms, and active gameplay with students whenever possible.

• Highlighting Characteristics Students Already Possess. The curriculum is designed to highlight and expand upon the persistence, reflection, self-control, and group work ethic that many of our students possess. As they work, teachers highlight their academic habits and connect them back to skateboarding.