Page 21 - School Planning & Management, March 2019

FACILITIES { LEARNING SPACES }
IMAGES COURTESY OF DLR GROUP
Authentic Experiences
The key to engaging students in learning.
By Staff
EXPLORATION AND FUN. Creativity and intuition. Col- laboration and competition. All of these elements culminate in a celebration of learning known as the Student Innova-
tion Challenge (SIC), which was first introduced by global design firm DLR Group at the 2015 National School Boards Association (NSBA)conference in Nashville. The SIC blends applied learning, collaboration, and teamwork, and is a learning exhibit that gives conference attendees a front row seat experience with modern pedagogy. It is a real-life, active learning exercise where students work alongside professionals and conventioneers to solve global and local problems. Since 2015, DLR Group has hosted 19 competi- tions in 14 states, collaborating with 63 school districts across the country to deliver this unique learning opportunity to national,
state, and local education audiences.
To kick off the SIC, student teams develop a global problem
statement prior to the live event, working with DLR Group experts to theorize potential steps to address the identified problem.
There are no restrictions on who students can invite for help, and some teams have connected with local business leaders, corporate CEOs, and university professionals for additional mentorship. As soon as they arrive at the conference, teams begin reaching out to conference attendees, asking for information to help them in their exercise or critique of their solution. A surprise twist is also introduced at the conference to ensure most of the thinking, designing, and creating occurs in collaboration with conference attendees. To conclude the event, student teams present
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