futurePREP'd IS AS MUCH A PROGRAM FOR
AS IT IS FOR STUDENTS
AS IT IS FOR STUDENTS
EACH ONE OF OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPLORATION FOR EDUCATORS HAS FIVE PRINCIPLES AT ITS CORE:
(1) PROJECT-BASED LEARNING (PBL), (2) THE SKILLS4SUCCESS, (3) THE CREATIVE SEQUENCE (DESIGN THINKING), (4) EXPERIENCE, AND (5) RELEVANCE.
(1) PROJECT-BASED LEARNING (PBL), (2) THE SKILLS4SUCCESS, (3) THE CREATIVE SEQUENCE (DESIGN THINKING), (4) EXPERIENCE, AND (5) RELEVANCE.
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Participating educators learn about and experience the principles of Project-Based Learning (PBL), which includes a focus on:
- Key Knowledge, Understanding, and Success Skills - A Challenging Problem or Question - Sustained Inquiry - Authenticity - Student Voice and Choi (ce - Reflection - Critique and Revision - A Public Product |
Participating educators explore the Skills4Success, the Ottawa Area’s 21st Century/Workplace Skills Set, which encompasses:
- Technology Literacy - Ethical Citizenship - Personal Accountability - Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Flexibility & Adaptability - Collaboration & Global Thinking - Communication |
In addition to PBL and the Skills4Success, educators learn about and experience the Creative Sequence (Design Thinking), which is a structured set of phases for a project or unit that guides students from the initial exploration of a question or an issue, to developing possible solutions, to selling the solution to an authentic audience.
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Each one of the opportunities for exploration for educators features an experience in the summer in which participating educators have the opportunity to work in teams to try out and experiment with the skills, tools, and conceptual understandings that they have developed with actual students.
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A major focus of all of our opportunities for exploration incorporates having educators develop curriculum for their own classrooms that is relevant to the world of work and local industry.
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If you are an educator within the Ottawa area of West Michigan, there are various ways for you to get involved in futurePREP'd Programming:
IChallengeu (9th - 12th Grade educators)
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IChallengeU is an intense, two-week summer educational opportunity for 11th and 12th grade students to work with Master Teachers from across the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) and Ottawa Area corporate, civic, and community leaders to develop solutions to real problems as posed by the partnering corporate, civic, and community partners. Participating teachers engage in (1) intensive training and experiences related to Project-Based Learning (PBL) the Skills4Success (21st Century Skills), and the Creative Sequence (Design Thinking) and (2) work closely with a local community business/organization.
Click here to read more about this opportunity for educators. |
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IChallengeuth (6th - 8th grade educators)
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Participating teachers within the 6th - 8th grade portion of the program work to bring relevance and information about local industries to the content and standards that they teach. This is done through a process of (1) intensive and immersive experiences with Project-Based Learning, the Skills4Success (21st Century Skills), and the Creative Sequence (Design Thinking), (2) connections and work with local employers, and (3) an experience in a week long summer program with incoming 7th and 8th grade students in which teachers can experiment with the skills and tools they are learning.
Click here to read more about this opportunity for educators. |
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sundae school (K - 5th grade educators)
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Much like in the IChallengeU and IChallengeUth Programs, participating teachers within the K - 5th grade portion of the program work to bring relevance and information about local industries to the content and standards that they teach. This is done through a process of (1) intensive and immersive experiences with Project-Based Learning, the Skills4Success (21st Century Skills), and the Creative Sequence, (2) connections and work with local employers, and (3) an experience in a four day summer program with kindergarten through 5th grade students developing sundaes for local ice cream scoop shops that will be featured on their menus.
Click here to see the Sundae School Program featured on Maranda - WOTV8. Click here to read more about this opportunity for educators. |
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Unite4Insight
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Unite4Insight is a program that gives futurePREP Alumni the opportunity, space, and time to be partnered with a local business/organization that relates to specific content standards they teach and create units of instruction that integrate what they learn from the partnering business/organization.
Unite4Insight is a program that is open to futurePREP Alumni. Typically each summer we accept 20 local educators that have already been through the IChallengeU, IChallengeUth, or Sundae School Programs to be a part of the Unite4Insight Program. |
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futureprep academy
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The futurePREP Academy is an after-school opportunity for 11th grade students to work with Master Teachers from across the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) and Ottawa Area corporations and organizations to learn about the myriad of opportunities that surround them and how this could fit into potential careers and post-secondary programs of study.
Teachers selected to participate in the futurePREP Academy are chosen from the group of teachers that participate in one of our other Educator Programs (e.g. - IChallengeU, IChallengeUth, or Sundae School). Typically, teachers are paired with the same company/organization for both IChallengeU/IChallengeUth and the futurePREP Academy. |
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Summer immersion
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Summer Immersion is a unique opportunity for High School students to work with Master Teachers from across the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) to explore unique topics and content (e.g. - Urban Sociology, Poetry, Dune Ecology, etc.) in a hands-on and experiential way across three weeks in the summer.
The Summer Immersion Program was implemented in the summer of 2012 and 2013. |
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"We Make it here" videos
In collaboration with the Image Group, "We Make It Here" videos highlight various employees' career paths and their current positions within participating businesses. The videos will be utilized with students to highlight what local businesses do, the range of career options that exist locally, and the journey various individuals took to get to where they are at.
Click here to experience the "We Make It Here" videos that have been produced thus far.
Click here to experience the "We Make It Here" videos that have been produced thus far.
WhoAmI
WhoAmI is an online system developed in collaboration with Atomic Object which enables students in 6th - 12th grades to document and share projects they are working on, receive feedback on those projects from their peers and outside experts, publish their work to an online, digital resume, and explore what local businesses and individuals within those businesses do.
To see an example of an online resume within WhoAmI, click here.
To receive an account within the WhoAmI system and/or to use it with your students, contact us directly.
To see an example of an online resume within WhoAmI, click here.
To receive an account within the WhoAmI system and/or to use it with your students, contact us directly.
