YouthQuest Highlights: August 2020

Just Journaling

At Eisenhower Elementary, students worked on mindfulness skills as well as English language arts through the use of journaling. Students were given a topic to write on during a specific timeframe. This helped students learn how to express their thoughts and gave them an opportunity to practice literacy and spelling. Students were also given new vocabulary words each week to add into the journaling.

Participating in Planning

To reinforce voice and choice at Pierce Elementary, learning guides included students in planning lessons through the end of the year. Remote learning provided a unique opportunity to use technology to gauge students’ interest in different lessons and activities. For example, a learning guide would demonstrate various physical fitness activities and allowed students to use the “raise hand” option on video conferencing software to vote on their favorites. These activities will be included when students are able to meet face-to-face.

Getting Artsy

Combining STEM activities with art to create STEAM, the Artsy Club at Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary allows students to use both the left and right sides of their brains. Students performed a variety of art projects that had elements of science, technology, engineering or math. In one project, students were tasked to design a maze using straws. Afterward, they demonstrated how the maze worked to other students in the club.

A Lease on Life

Imagination and reality collided at Holmes STEM Academy. In the Game of Life Club, students didn’t just play a board game, they created it themselves. Students were asked to design their own futures by researching their dream colleges, choosing careers and shopping for houses. Students also learned about the responsibilities that come with being an adult, such as paying for utilities and other bills.

YouthQuest is made possible through the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.