Waltham High School's Cutting Edge Changemaker Academy

WALTHAM, MA — Right now, while the city is working to figure out where a new High School will be situated, a core group of teachers and staff at the high school and Superintendent's office are working on something they say is even more important than brick and mortar: a cutting edge plan to teach students.

The plan with a focus on project-based learning and focusing on the whole child and preparing students for real world jobs and experiences is something that's been in the works for the past two and a half years here, when Superintendent Drew Echleson joined the district.

It takes into consideration the district's strengths and weaknesses and what teachers and the community have been asking for when it comes to education, according to educators. Think: Less "busy work" and more work that engages and encourages curiosity, group work, hands on projects, critical thinking and making a difference in the community, even going so far as to work with members of the community on projects and class lessons. It's all part of an effort to better prepare students.

"There aren’t many public institutions that have yet started this approach, yet. But I would guess that in five years a lot more schools are going to look like this because this is the future," said Allyson McHugh, director of the English Department and future director of the program.

The name for the new education program? They call it "Changemakers Academy."

It allows for sustained inquiry, a time for reflection and curriculum, said Paul Maiorano, who will be the Interim Principal of the High School next year and has been a deputy superintendent.

Back in December, Waltham Public Schools won a grant for $300,000 by the Barr Foundation to Support the planning and Implementation of their Educational Plan and High School redesign.

This Fall 65 incoming 9th grade students matching the demographics of the high school will be will be part of the Changemaker Academy pilot program. They each had to submit an application with two questions: 1) Why do you want to be part of the Changemaker Academy Pilot group, and 2) If you had $1,000 what would you do to change Waltham. Teachers who were set to work with the students had to apply answering those questions, too.

No one was turned away, says McHugh, who added that the cap on "cohort" groups going forward would be about 80 students. But the idea was to get a sense of who the students are.

McHugh said three central themes popped up: Students seem to care deeply about homelessness, the environment and school safety. So teachers are working on creating a curriculum narrow with specific rubrics at first, based on those themes and doing something about them.

As the year goes on, projects will become less teacher driven and more student driven and it will evolve as the year move onward.

"The pillars of this program are about the academics, absolutely. But they're also about who the student is right now and who they want to be," said McHugh.

The program houses 4 core teachers (and support staff) in Physics, Math, English and History. Students will learn “soft skills,” such as leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving, and will then use those skills to work on authentic real life problems in the community, national and global level, say McHugh and Maiorano.

Half of the pilot program students will spend their day not necessarily at a desk with a lecture component so much as working on projects that weave innovative design, making, thinking and collaborating into the core curriculum. The other half of their day students will be spent in the traditional high school setting with their electives and such.

Educators say the Changemakers will still have to take the same state required tests, will still get traditional grades but from a different angle.

Although only one group of 65 will start the program next school year, the following year two groups of up to 80 students will participate and it will grow to become the future curriculum for everyone at the school.

"The long term commitment is that it will get bigger and become who we are," said McHugh.

Previously on Patch:

Waltham Wins $300K Grant For New High School Program

Check out the Changemaker Website

File Photo of Waltham High School by Jenna Fisher/Patch