GAIN Academy team attempts to bring super schools to Northern Suburbs
On May 23rd, finalist GAIN Academy submitted its final application to XQ: The Super School Project, a national challenge to rethink high school. From the finalists, at least five teams will be selected to have their designs realized. GAIN Academy is a school within a school designed by four area districts: Community High School District 128, Grayslake Community High School District 127, Leyden Township High School District 212 and Maine Township High School District 207. If GAIN Academy's design is selected as one of the winning proposals, the team will receive $10 million dollars over the next five years to build their Super School. In GAIN's case, they plan to develop nine Super Schools! Winners will be announced in August.
"GAIN Academy co-designers are incredibly excited to launch our concept so that future students experience the rich learning environment envisioned by students, teachers, administrators, and community members," said GAIN Academy Co-Designer Rita Fischer. "We rethink high school to be a place where learning is interdisciplinary, project-based and not confined to the four walls of a school building. Students will pursue their passions while exploring solutions to real local, national and global challenges and will graduate from GAIN confident in their ability to succeed in postsecondary endeavors and poised to contribute meaningfully to their communities."
About GAIN Academy
The vision for GAIN (Global Action Inquiry Network) Academy emerged from the voices of students from four diverse Chicago-area school districts who were asked to help reimagine the high school experience. High school districts comprising GAIN Academy concepts are Community High School District 128, Grayslake High School District 127, Leyden High School District 212 and Maine Township High School District 207.
GAIN Academy is a unique school within a school concept that will be housed within the nine high schools in a network of diverse Illinois public school districts. The GAIN experience allows students to earn credits in English, math, science, and social studies in an interdisciplinary setting facilitated by inventive, collaborative teachers of each discipline. Learning experiences are project based and focused on the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Students explore problems and develop solutions to local, national and global challenges as they experience learning in an innovative school setting called the "Cre∞ space" (Create Space) and through virtual connections. Students inquire after essential questions to propose solutions to challenges represented by the 17 global goals. They present to authentic audiences, collaborate within the school, the GAIN network, and with partners in the community and around the world. Students engage in multiple projects of varied scope and complexity over time to develop defined competencies, acquire multiple perspectives, and discover personal strengths and interests. Students contribute to new iterations of themes and essential questions, engage in service learning, school governance, internships, and collaborative projects and quarterly symposiums with GAIN network students across the member districts. As students progress through GAIN Academy, they draw on these experiences to develop a personal mission for postsecondary education and career.
If chosen as a winning Super School, GAIN Academy co-designers Barbara Dill-Varga, Rita Fischer, Tracey Landry and Mikkel Storaasli will lead the development of a school within a school at each of the four participating school districts, with collaboration existing between the various locations. Co-designers named three unique features of the GAIN concept:
1. GAIN Academy is a collaborative effort of four well established districts. By developing the concept in nine high schools, we also develop a model that can be replicated in public school districts across the country.
2. GAIN invites students to understand the Global Goals and to design projects aimed at solving these challenges. This connects students to efforts across the globe to solve real world problems.
3. Our partnerships with the College Board, colleges, and corporations will support students in earning credentials for postsecondary education and careers. Through these experiences, we will help students understand themselves well enough to find their personal mission for life after high school.
Follow us at @GAIN_Academy.
The Super School Project: XQ: The Super School Project launched in September 2015 as an open call to rethink and redesign the American high school. Thousands of applicants and tens of thousands of supporters from towns and cities across the country have united to take on this important work. Teams of students, teachers, parents, community leaders and many more came together to conceptualize innovative models for 21st century learning and create a pathway to success for students. Since its launch, XQ has proven to be more than a challenge to create innovative high schools. It is a growing movement to reimagine what is possible for public education in America, and a hub for community voices, cutting edge ideas, and expert resources to make real change possible. For more information, visit www.xqsuperschool.org. Follow us at @XQAmerica.