How can we elevate our PBL unit with community partners?
Improving PBL Series
EP1: What are the steps to becoming an impactful PBL educator?
EP2: How can we use portfolios to enhance our teaching practice?
EP3: How can we elevate our PBL unit with community partners?
EP4: How can we create a memorable experience via project-based learning?
EP5: How can we teach standards and implement project-based learning?
EP6: What role does reflection play in the PBL process?
EP7: How can we create a dynamic group culture during project-based learning?
EP8: How can students support a cause via project-based learning?
EP9: How can we promote STEM education via project-based learning?
EP10: How can we get students excited about the project-based learning topic?
EP11: What type of creative artifacts/public products can students create via project-based learning?
EP12: How can we write a project-based learning unit?
EP13: How can we write a compelling scenario for a PBL unit?
Community partners can be powerful helpers in project-based learning experiences. Let's take some time to explore how we can get community helpers involved with our students.
First, let's take a look at what Adria Steinberg calls the 6 A's of Instructional Design (now often referred to as the 6 A's of Project Design). Incorporating these six components into your project design will help to build a successful PBL experience.
6 A's of Project Design:
Authenticity
Academic Rigor
Applied Learning
Active Exploration
Assessments
Adult Connections
This article will discuss the benefits of incorporating community partners (adult connections) and how these community connections can positively impact students' project-based learning experience.
Integrating adult connections and relationships provides students with adult mentors and coaches from the broader community. These relationships are beneficial to both students and community partners.
🎧 Do you prefer to listen to this article instead?
As you consider who your community partners might be, there are a few questions you can ask yourself:
How can students have the opportunity to meet with and observe adults with expertise and experience related to our PBL topic?
How can students have an opportunity to work closely with at least one adult that is not someone they see at school daily?
Who, besides the teacher, might be able to provide input on the design and assessment of student work?
Before you begin to explore answering those questions, you may be wondering why you should even consider incorporating community partners at all? Adult connections allow students to interact with role models in a meaningful manner while connecting the project to the real world.
Students can utilize academic content in a professional setting. Furthermore, community partnerships allow students to create solutions with the help of an adult, enabling them to solve challenges that impact their schools and community. Becoming a community partner enables these adults to form lasting relationships with young people in the community and, in turn, give back and invest in their local community.
As you think through who these community partners might be, there are a few groups of people to consider:
Local businesses
Non-profit organizations
Civic organizations
Faith-based organizations (depending on your school context)
Local universities
Youth-serving organizations
Your personal and professional network
Parents of students
As you review the list, think about who and what would make the learning experience more valuable or memorable for students. Reflect on your project-based learning topic, its purpose, and learning objectives.
For example:
Driving Question: How might we convince our peers that monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment is critical?
Here are some possible community partners:
Scientists
Retired environmental professionals
College student studying sustainability
Science museum
Environmental advocacy organization
Businesses specializing in producing environmentally friendly products
Upon identifying a few people or organizations that might make good community partners for your upcoming unit, consider what role they might fill. Will they provide a supporting role during the PBL unit launch, during the learning experience, or at the end during the showcase?
Next, consider what these adults might share that could enhance student learning.
Could they...
Help out during your PBL launch?
Write a letter or record a video asking your students to help solve a problem?
Speak to your class about their work and how it connects to the project or problem at hand? (Remember, this could be in person or virtual.)
Host a field trip or event at their worksite?
Serve as mentors by providing feedback on student work?
Share helpful resources or tutorials?
The goal is to make it an engaging and meaningful experience for students and adults alike. The opportunities are endless!
I want to stress that community partners should be genuine and authentic. I strongly suggest you refrain from making up an imaginary community partner through fictional letters or communication. Don't try to trick students by pretending there is a partner when there's not one. This idea can seem like an easy way out, but it will instantly remove your project's authenticity and value.
Now let's take some time to discuss how to prepare for working with community partners. Keep in mind, it does take time to acquire community partners, but it's worth it. Just remember to start early in the planning process.
As mentioned previously, brainstorm how a community partner might enhance the learning experience for your students. Where would it make sense to incorporate a partner within your PBL unit? What type of role might the community partner play?
Step 1
Brainstorm a list of potential partners and jot down as many adults as possible based on your project topic.
For example: Let's say our PBL driving question is how can we convince the community that our actions impact biodiversity in rainforests?
Who could be beneficial in enhancing the learning experience for students?
Do you have access to a local zoo?
Does your local university have courses related to study ecosystems or a professor or a student who may be interested in supporting your PBL unit?
At this stage, you're recording any local resource whose work connects with your PBL topic. You're also recording people within your personal or professional network who may be interested in supporting you or may know someone that would be interested in supporting your project.
Step 2
Once you determine how community partners may fit in your PBL unit and have drafted a list of possible partners, it's time for outreach. I suggest starting the outreach process early so that you can have time to determine who will support your PBL initiative. Some people will immediately respond, and some may delay their response or seem indecisive. You need to be able to gauge which community partners will commit.
Step 3
Schedule a conversation via phone, conference call, or email with the community partner. During this conversation, share the PBL unit goals and what you hope students will learn through the experience and the timeline. Basically, you want to share anything that will provide more context about the project. You can even share ways that the community partner may support you, but remember to state that you are open to suggestions.
Your potential partners may have some ideas for engagement based on working with other schools and organizations in the past. I always encourage teachers to come to the conversation with ideas just in case your community partner is unclear on how they can be of value.
During this conversation, you and the community partner will determine their role, whether by serving as a guest speaker or co-creator of some learning experiences or even setting up visits to their work facility.
Step 4
Work with your community partner to establish a timeline for their participation. When will they speak to the class? When will the field trip occur? When will they be available to provide feedback on work products? Based on their commitment, be sure everyone agrees on when and how it will happen.
Both parties should be clear on expectations. Who is responsible for doing what and when? It's essential to establish a check-in timeline. How often will you check-in, and what is the best communication method? You want the experience to run as smoothly as possible.
This step can often go overlooked, but usually, you will need to help the adult partners prepare to work with students. Not everyone has experience working with students, and however qualified your community partner is, they may not know how to hold the attention of your class. Be prepared to play an active role in ensuring that the experience is beneficial for everyone.
Step 5
Once you determine how the community partner will support the project, help co-create the experience. Think about how they will support students during the PBL unit and co-create guidance documents to help them prepare. If they're planning to come in as a speaker, ask for an overview of what they will share with students and how they will share it. If they're planning to offer feedback on student work products, provide a list of questions to ask students or sentence frames for giving age-appropriate feedback.
Take action:
Determine your ideal community partner for your next project-based learning unit and begin the outreach process to form a relationship.