Peer Learning is at the heart of successfully implementing Client Connected Projects.

In the 2023-24 school year, Real World Learning is focused on strengthening our network and building capacity for educators in all roles as they move past piloting real-world opportunities and ensuring high-quality experiences.

There is no question that peer learning is at the heart of this work. Each school brings its own uniqueness and creativity to how they implement access to MVAs. But with so many things to consider – employer engagement, curriculum alignment, and student assessments – the importance of not ‘reinventing the wheel’ cannot be emphasized enough. Recognizing this, the RWL Hub at the Kauffman Foundation created several opportunities for the network of districts and charter schools to learn from one another:

• The “Peer Learning Network” (PLN) for school counselors, instructional coaches, teachers, and RWL Coordinators
• The Principal Fellowship for High School Leaders
• The CCP Teacher Network
• Navigating Change Workshops

All three provide opportunities for professional growth, but more importantly, allow individuals with similar roles to come together and learn from one another.

Leaning into this peer-to-peer support is how “Communities of Practice (COP)” was adopted for our quarterly professional learning events. The most recent had a focus on Client Connected Projects (CCPs). Here’s a snapshot of what peers shared with one another.

CCP Panel: Learning from the Student & Employer Experience

Real World Learning invited students and educators from several high schools, along with their business partners, to share their processes and learnings. Students from Kansas City Kansas Public Schools worked with their transportation department to design van wraps for their district’s vans; Spanish class students worked with Junior Achievement at Greater Kansas City to translate English instruction for ESL students; and Guadalupe students worked with Multistudio to create digital interior designs.

CCP Panel: CCP Master Teachers share what they’re learning about guiding their peers.

A second panel of CCP Master teachers shared their experiences coaching teachers who are new to implementing Client Connected Projects and offered advice for other educators. Destiny Marsh, a business education teacher from Smithville High School, advised teachers to “stay calm and model the behavior you are trying to teach. Failure is a part of this!” Tori Denault, an educator from Piper High School, suggests educators say less and encourage students to figure it out themselves. “Fail forward and embrace the unknown. Allot for the fact that the industry does not work how schools do and it’s okay to not always know the next step,” Denault said.

Client Connected Projects have been considered the most accessible opportunity for students to engage with professionals in a meaningful way. These projects allow students to interact with the outside world from within their classroom while also providing real-world applications to course curriculum. Nearly 100 teachers from 25 different high schools are currently in the CCP Apprenticeship program, building a new network of Master Teachers to provide peer mentorship.

Watch the Full CCP Teacher Panel

The next Real World Learning Communities of Practice gathering will be held on Thursday, February 8, focusing on IRCs and Career Technical Education (CTE).