A gift of time: Eric Schwartz and Citizen Schools.
Eric Schwartz started an after-school program twenty years ago in Boston. It featured “hands-on apprenticeships in real world fields” focusing on a love of learning and intellectual curiosity culminating is demonstrations called “WOW’s.” This innovative curriculum is taught by volunteers, “Citizen Teachers” who bring with them both their life experience and occupational skills.
Since its founding, Citizen Schools has grown to more than thirty sites in thirteen cities in five states. Eric Schwarz was able to tap into a under-utilized time channel—from 3pm to 6pm on weekdays, and bring about positive results in students’ academic performance and college readiness.
Then, he brought in bright and successful citizens as volunteers—architects, lawyers, businesspeople, mothers and fathers—to be mentors and instructors.
Finally, he trained these citizen teachers in the methodologies of progressive educators: the pedagogy of project-based learning. His story is eloquent testimony to the efficacy of combining both direct and indirect approaches to changemaking.
I once served as a “citizen teacher” in an after-school program in Silicon Valley. We provided middle school students with what is often lacking during the school day: a new set of academic skills that spark their sense of intellectual curiosity.
In our case we sparked their imaginations through presenting them a mini-course in social psychology. That was Exhibit One in what Citizen Schools call their "Wow Projects." We focused their attention on the "bystander effect" -- engaging them in a counterintuitive notion that the more people gather in a group the less likely any one of them will take the initiative.
At the end of each day -- when these underserved youth were the most exhausted and needing to check out -- it was the content itself -- that engaged them through turning of conventional wisdom on its ear. It was an experience deserving of its billing -- "Wow" -- a sense of wonder.
In addition to the program's use of direct and indirect channels, my mini-course enlisted a third powerful channel for change -- the power of groups.
Eric Schwartz started an after-school program twenty years ago in Boston. It featured “hands-on apprenticeships in real world fields” focusing on a love of learning and intellectual curiosity culminating is demonstrations called “WOW’s.” This innovative curriculum is taught by volunteers, “Citizen Teachers” who bring with them both their life experience and occupational skills.
Since its founding, Citizen Schools has grown to more than thirty sites in thirteen cities in five states. Eric Schwarz was able to tap into a under-utilized time channel—from 3pm to 6pm on weekdays, and bring about positive results in students’ academic performance and college readiness.
Then, he brought in bright and successful citizens as volunteers—architects, lawyers, businesspeople, mothers and fathers—to be mentors and instructors.
Finally, he trained these citizen teachers in the methodologies of progressive educators: the pedagogy of project-based learning. His story is eloquent testimony to the efficacy of combining both direct and indirect approaches to changemaking.
I once served as a “citizen teacher” in an after-school program in Silicon Valley. We provided middle school students with what is often lacking during the school day: a new set of academic skills that spark their sense of intellectual curiosity.
In our case we sparked their imaginations through presenting them a mini-course in social psychology. That was Exhibit One in what Citizen Schools call their "Wow Projects." We focused their attention on the "bystander effect" -- engaging them in a counterintuitive notion that the more people gather in a group the less likely any one of them will take the initiative.
At the end of each day -- when these underserved youth were the most exhausted and needing to check out -- it was the content itself -- that engaged them through turning of conventional wisdom on its ear. It was an experience deserving of its billing -- "Wow" -- a sense of wonder.
In addition to the program's use of direct and indirect channels, my mini-course enlisted a third powerful channel for change -- the power of groups.