In a continued effort to better prepare students for independence while maintaining college and career readiness, the Wright City R-II School District is increasing its partnerships within the community.As part of a project-based learning initiative, students have the opportunity to work directly with business owners and community leaders to solve real-world problems.“We wanted to center a class around it at the eighth-grade level that focuses on real-world actual community projects, problem solving and projects to assist community and others while learning a lot of varied skills,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Doug Smith.Smith said he’s excited about the curriculum, because it brings practical application into everyday subjects in which students otherwise might lose interest.“Essentially, project-based learning is like an educational practice you could use in whatever area you’re teaching,” he said.Part of this means engaging the community in the teaching process by inviting businesspeople in to provide instruction about their area of expertise.“One of the things we’re working on this year is we’re going to have our students in this class partner with area businesses to do advertising campaigns for them,” said Smith.Students will learn about the business, pitch an idea for both a radio and print ad, receive feedback and make modifications to the business owner’s liking. Ultimately, the winning ads will be featured on KWRE radio and in local publications.“Our goal in this class is to give students real-world experience within the regular curriculum,” said Smith.Another practical application of skills is that students will have to act as travel agents and plan a trip on a budget for clients with specific feedback.“This will require students to employ a lot of different skills, including math, geography, English skills to write a presentation,” said Smith.A classroom teacher will focus on curriculum, while the district’s career education counselor takes on the role of building partnerships within the community, Smith said.Wright City School District logo