How Might We Improve Our School?

Inspired by U.S. Naval Academy

Students take on this question: How Might We Improve our School? Through discussion, interviews, and observations, students identify opportunities to improve their school, and work in teams to develop specific initiatives that they propose to the class. These initiatives should reflect a clear vision of the idea, its impact on their school community, and the steps needed for approval.

Set Up:

Students form small teams. Students have the opportunity to draw on input from group discussion, or by interviewing teachers, administrators, community members, or other students. Allow 2-4 class periods to identify and develop improvement proposals. Students present proposals at a later time.

Bigger Bites:

• Challenge students to arrive at a mechanism for setting priorities among various initiatives, and then use this process to form recommendations.
• Have students build out their ideas and make them real in the school.