OWL Co-Founder Ben Owens Writes About Student-Led Recovery and Real-World Learning in WNC After Hurricane Helene

This article discusses the potential for students to engage in meaningful real-world learning and earn academic credit through community rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Helene. Highlighting examples of student involvement, such as a teenager organizing activities for children at a food distribution site, the authors argue that these experiences cultivate essential skills like adaptability, problem-solving, and empathy.

They propose that instead of viewing the disruptions caused by the hurricane as lost learning time, educators and stakeholders should recognize these moments as valuable educational opportunities that contribute to holistic student growth. To capitalize on this, organizations in North Carolina, including Open Way Learning and SparkNC, are collaborating with schools to co-design initiatives that integrate community service into the curriculum, creating engaging, relevant lesson plans focused on real-world challenges. The initiative will leverage resources from local environmental experts and aim to produce open-source educational materials for wider adaptation, culminating in design sprints to develop prototype lessons.

Ultimately, the goal is to foster a culture of authentic learning, provide credentialing for students’ contributions, and ensure that diverse community voices are represented in educational practices, thereby transforming recovery efforts into a foundation for student-led problem-solving and resilience.