20211015_GYS2021-22_INSIDE_PAGES

GUIDE TO YELLOW SPR INGS | 2021– 2022 37 a trade, this program paired students with local experts in the areas of journalism, foreign languages, astronomy, computer science and law. At the program’s helm was Bev- erly Logan, who coordinated the job assignments for high school students. A collabora- tion with Antioch College allowed students to take college classes on campus and receive credit for their accel- erated program. Further collaboration and a grant turned students into textbook authors. Morgan Middle School students worked with Antioch profes - sors, the News’ editor and a local historian to write essays, poems and fiction to teach the history of Yellow Springs. In the 1990s, the artist in- residence program welcomed practicing artists who worked with students on their craft. According to a 1995 News arti - cle, photographer Patty Mitchell worked with middle and high school classes. Students were asked to bring in photos of their families and community, write about the photographs, and enlarge the photos in order to put them in book form. The classes also made cyanotypes from the photos, which were made into quilts. Students could also partake in a cross-curricular experi- ence called Humanities House, where students would study English, history and art in a self- paced environment focused on student choice. Then school board president, Ken Yonkee expressed excitement for the program, saying, “When students elect to do something, there’s more motivation. When there’s more motivation, you have a better performance.” The schools’ dedication to experiential and cross- curricular learning led to national recognition. In 1998, Yellow Springs High School was designated a National School of Excellence. The next year, Mills Lawn Elementary received its National School of Excellence designation, along with the title National School of the Arts. Schools receive these designations based on achievement. National Schools of Excellence are public schools that have high gradua- tion rates and whose students score within the top 15% on state assessments or nation - ally normed tests. Schools are nominated by each state’s department of education, and selected by a committee. The school district’s 2010 strategic plan focused on reimagining what local schools could do to increase their use of inquiry-based learning and further collaborate with the community, a goal that ushered in the age of project-based learning, or PBL. Originally called problem-based learn- ing, PBL is a system where students are presented with a question or problem with real world relevance; challenged to find resources in the school and the wider community; urged 2018: As the finale to their recent studies of African American history, Mills Lawn School second-graders tied the past to the present via a “living history” museum where students presented as famous African Americans they had researched, oftentimes splitting historical characters into their younger and older selves. Here, Cruz Drew and Gianna Bunch portray author/educator Booker T. Washington. | PHOTO BY MATT MINDE to critique their work through peer and instructor review; and encouraged to present their findings to staff, parents, and the wider community at exhibi- tion night, according to the Buck Institute, whose PBL model Yellow Springs uses. Students and teachers designed projects such as Hidden Figures in 2018, where students researched, interviewed and portrayed prominent Black figures from local and national history. Since Yellow Springs Schools adopted the PBL framework, the schools have become a model for other dis- tricts who want to use PBL in their own practice. Educators from around the state travel to Yellow Springs to learn how to implement PBL in their own classrooms and districts. Despite many changes to Yellow Springs Schools, some things have remained the same: a dedication to excel - lence, community engagement and experiential learning. ♦ 4550 US 68 North, YS • 937-374-3289 www.stoneycreekgardenc.com Stoney Creek For Gardeners by Gardeners Come enjoy the experience of Stoney Creek in Yellow Springs! Enjoy a delightful selection of Perennials, Herbs, Natives, Annuals, Veggie Plants, Grasses, Strawberry Plants, Cacti & Succulents, Tropicals, House Plants, Premium Potting Soil, Fertilizers & Soil Amendments. garden center