The partnership between PEDAL For Change (PFC) and the Edge Academy began last year when Emily Colin, Rayna Weiss, Kether Sharff-Grey and crew shared a curriculum with the middle school students. As the PFC cyclists rode through South America and volunteered at different environmental organizations, the Edge students were on board and catching the draft. The PFC members researched and wrote Blogs, made videos and held Skype conversations and the students became thoroughly engaged and responded with critical questions, comments, and blogs of their own.
The Edge Academy is a part of the Essex Town School District in Essex, VT. The Edge is an optional program that students may attend instead of other extra-curricular activities. The mission is that the Edge Academy creates environments that push the edge of innovating learning through exploration and empowerment. To understand the principles at the Edge Academy, here are a few of the Edge Academy's definitions of interest:
Learner Voice = listening to kids; kids having the opportunity to actively shape their education; advocate for themselves; moving learners to a place where they are comfortable directing what is happening; learner/individual perspective
Project-Based Learning = is a real world investigation, linked to academics. Learners work collaboratively to solve problems that matter to them using critical thinking/problem-solving skills involving reflection.
Negotiated Curriculum = involving students in the planning of curriculum, honoring and supporting all voices in the development of curriculum
Integrative Curriculum = no separate subject, learners help determine themes
Personalized Learning Strategy = learning that responds to personalized interests and needs, incorporating long/short term goals and aspirations
Because PFC and the Edge Academy believe in the same learning techniques and principles, the two have decided to partner again for another year. Last summer when the girls returned from South America, they were extremely impressed when a student decided to take his own initiative and organized a PEDAL event to raise money for a local non-profit. Rayna and Emily drove to Vermont to participate in the event. PFC and the Edge Academy knew at that point that together they could create wonderful learning opportunities.
This year, PFC and the Edge Academy have chosen to continue the curriculum for another winter. The curriculum will focus on ecology and geography of Ecuador while looking at the facets of sustainability. Students will study these topics on a local, regional, national, and international level. The curriculum will be dictated by our Educational Director, Emily Colin, along with the talented teachers of the Edge Academy. Emily will also assist in finding volunteer opportunities in Vermont for the Edge student that directly relate to volunteer projects in Ecuador. Rayna Weiss will also augment the curriculum by being the point person in Ecuador. She will be researching sustainability projects in Ecuador for the students curriculum.
As loyal draftee's, you will be updated as the curriculum continues to evolve. Currently, the first draft of the curriculum has been sent to the Edge Academy and PFC members and Edge teachers are working out details.
