Clay County
Schools, NC
A cross-section of teachers from all the schools in Clay County Schools (NC) met August 15-17 for an engaging, 3-day intensive of collaboration, learning, and application facilitated by Open Way Learning. These teachers used the Human-Centered Design Process to develop and refine engaging, hands-on, experiential activities, lessons, and projects that they will launch with students this fall.
RESULTS
This highly interactive workshop allowed the teachers to model the experiential learning process by researching proven learner-centered strategies, reflecting and sharing through collaborative protocols, visiting members of the local community to bring experts into the activities, and then customizing and applying these approaches to their own prototypes.
39%
Of district teachers volunteered to work with OWL to implement learner-centered strategies from strategic planning!
IMPACT
This summer intensive was part of a larger project funded by a Dogwood Health Trust grant that began in January, 2023 with a series of community interactions, student focus groups, and design sprints to help catalyze Clay County Schools’ renewed strategic plan. The project’s overarching goal is to implement innovative and relevant instructional strategies across the district that not only align with the North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate, but leverage community assets and needs.
“[This workshop] gave me the tools, confidence and initiative to create a thriving classroom!”
Teacher
Fall 2023 Design Workshops