For the past eleven years, SETDA has honored one school annually across the USA; this is the first time a Vermont school has received the award and the first PreK-8 school to win the award.
St. Albans City School has been immersed in digital based, project-based learning including the latest initiative - a schoolwide, PreK-8 project-based learning unit on economics, community, and business. Teams created their own business that included a business plan, safety plan, product, packaging, product story, logo, jingle, commercial, and a storefront and website The school hosted a community night, so families could buy local student-made gifts and most groups donated part of their proceeds to local non-profits. Two groups sought to raise awareness around local environmental issues such as the pollution in St. Albans Bay and taking care of the local wetlands.
Every team utilized digital tools to plan and execute their project and each group used the school’s Makerspace for at least one part of their project. Most importantly, students realized the same skills they learned during this project could be applied in new ways to various content areas. Check out the website https://fcsuvt.learning.powerschool.com/carling/sacsschoolmall/cms_page/view
From a press release: July 9, 2018 (Washington, D.C.) – SETDA, the principal membership association representing U.S. state and territorial digital learning leaders, announced St. Albans City School as the 2018 Student Voices Award Winner. SETDA recognized St. Albans City School for leveraging technology to dramatically improve educational experiences and achievement for their students.
In addition to this honor, SETDA awarded St. Albans City School the Elsie Brumback Scholarship, which supports sending a delegation of students & staff to present during the Education Forum at the annual SETDA Leadership Summit on November 5 in Washington, DC.
For the past eleven years, SETDA has honored one school annually across the USA; this is the first time a Vermont school has received the award and the first PreK-8 school to win the award. Five finalists were selected from a large slate of innovative programs from across the country including:
● Armorel High School, Arkansas
● Effingham County CEO Program, Illinois
● Noblesville High School, Indiana
● Meadow Park Middle School, Oregon
● St. Albans City School, Vermont (Winner) “St. Albans City School is thrilled to be recognized for the impact technology, specifically our maker-inspired project, has brought to our student’s education. The opportunity to present our story at the SETDA Leadership Summit will provide our students an authentic audience where they can demonstrate the transferable skills that are the focus of our learning and share their knowledge and inspiration for the School Mall, a project that has opened many new doors,” said Joan Cavallo, Principal, St. Albans City School. Read the full press release.