Subcommittee co-Chairs: Melanie Kessler and Brenda Jaster
Next Subcommittee Meeting: TBD @ Somerville High School
Subcommittee Work
Exploring ways in which to extend learning outside of the school walls or the traditional classroom experience, and make experiential learning a core part of every students' educational journey.
► Every future Somerville High School student should have at least one significant and extended out-of-school/experiential learning experience prior to graduation. Students should be able to select the opprotunity that best meets their needs and interests, such as:
- Community engagement (e.g., service learning, volunteering)
- Career exposure (e.g., apprenticeships, internships)
- College experiences (e.g., dual enrollment, early college)
► Out-of-school learning should be introduced in the ninth grade with a progression of experiences into the 10th grade and scaffolded to more substantial experiences by the 11th and 12th grades:
- Ninth grade: Students will engage in multiple experiential opportunities throughout the school year, including job shadowing, college and industry visits, community engagement days, mentorships, and community service days.
- Tenth grade: Out-of-school learning experiences will be extended to one full week (students select opportunities from community engagement, career exposure, and college experiences).
- Eleventh and Twelfth grades: Students will engage in at least one substantial learning experience (e.g., college - at least one dual enrollment course; career - a minimum month-long apprenticeship; community - a month-long internship)
► All substantial out-of-school/experiential learning experiences should be credit-bearing.