Last month, Springpoint convened a learning tour for our partners who are part of Barr Foundation‘s Engage New England initiative. As we support them to design and launch new high school models that can support their students who are off track toward graduation, we make sure they have many opportunities to see great practice in schools across the country. We encourage our partners to engage in these learning trips deeply and to bring members of the design team, including students. 

William Santos is a student at Next Wave / Full Circle, an alternative school in Somerville, MA. William joined the learning tour last month in NYC and shared some of his thoughts in his school’s newsletter. See our Twitter moment about the learning tour here and read the school’s newsletter that originally ran William’s article here.

If you are interested in finding schools to visit, check out our Schools to Visit in 2019 guide and our how-to guide on planning great learning tours.

THE NEW YORK EXPERIENCE

All year, I have been working with our principal and Springpoint to change up the school and make it better for students attending Full Circle and Next Wave. I was asked to participate as our school’s student representative. Springpoint asked us to attend a New York City Study Tour, which allowed us to go into three high schools to observe.

William Santos debriefs school visits with members of his design team in March in New York City

It was such an incredible experience. As soon as we got to Penn Station, everything felt like a montage. It was always a dream of mine to visit New York City. Tim Dempsey and Margaret Depasquale were there to join as well on the Study Tour. It was a 4-day event and other schools were also invited. We were put up at The New Yorker Hotel on 8th Avenue.

March 18th was the first day starting with the Springpoint event. Springpoint gave a brief summary on each school and taught us the differences in competency levels of the three schools that Tim, Margaret, and I visited.

On the next day, the first school that we attended to observe was an all girl school known as The Young Women’s Leadership School. This school serves approximately 440 young women in 6th through 12th grade. It is part of the Young Women’s Leadership Network. They are located in [Astoria, Queens], New York City. Later in that evening, we had an opportunity to visit another school. That school is located in the Bronx of New York. They are known as Bronx Arena High School. It is a collaboration with the Department of Education. They are dedicated to serving over-age, under-credited students, inspiring them to engage in school and empowering them with an education that would prepare them for success in college, career, and life.

The following day, we had a collaboration with Springpoint facilitators and the schools that were invited to this event. We gave our personal opinions of the two schools we visited, what we observed, and how those two different schools can be rolled into our school community. When we finished for the day, Springpoint invited all of us to play bowling and eat dinner. Little do you know how good our principal is at bowling.

Our last day, we got to visit the third school that was also located in the Bronx. It is known as South Bronx Community Charter High School. Students’ learning here has an emphasis on academic, personal and professional skills in a supportive and responsive learning environment. They realize their futures in college, community and career.

Learning tour attendees who are part of the Engage New England initiative listen to a school leader discuss his school model and design process at Bronx Arena High School in March in New York City.

After we got to visit all three school, Springpoint let our team get into brainstorming. We were trying to figure out a way to bring information that we received in NYC to our school environment, and what we could do that could switch up our school into a life-learning experience.

The NYC Study Tour was definitely an experience that I enjoyed, I’m very thankful for having the opportunity to be apart of a change that I believe my community can embrace. I have a chance to show what Somerville really is.