Lake Orion Schools Make Headway on Project 21

Project 21 is in the early stages, but the program has already made some progress on developing new learning opportunities for students.

Lake Orion Schools Superintendent Marion Ginopolis gave an update on the program at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting. The focus of Project 21 is to create learning opportunities that use 21st-century skills and are unrestricted by time and location. The four main objectives of the program are critical thinking and problem solving; creativity; communication; collaboration and leadership, Ginopolis said.

Members of the Year Round Task Force, which was created in the spring, have been brainstorming ways to take learning outside of the traditional boundaries of school. Some of their first priorities include: identifying real world experiences; creating project-based learning experiences; developing partnerships with businesses and community
resources; finding internships and mentoring opportunities; and accessing a wide range of resources.

For instance, the members might consider whether having elementary students create a vegetable garden would meet the objectives of the program, Ginopolis said.

Parent and task force member Greg Kacy created an online community with discussion boards and resources to help the members communicate. They will be able to post questions, activities and suggestions on the site, which is private to the group.

“I think it’s going very well,” Ginopolis said. “We have commitment from people who are participating. I think the commitment is evidenced by the development of this online community by one of the members.”

About 50 committee members make up the Year Round Task Force, which includes parents, staff members and community members. Ideas the group is exploring include providing online opportunities for students; offering high school or middle school courses for children when they are not traditionally in school; and allowing students to use activities outside of school for credit.

Ginopolis hopes to provide some recommendations to the board by the end of December.

In other news, the board:

• Recognized eight buildings with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification, which signifies
  that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA. Those buildings are: Carpenter Elementary, Orion Oaks Elementary, Paint Creek Elementary, Pine Tree Elementary, Stadium Drive Elementary, Waldon Middle School, Webber Elementary and the Administration Building.
• Agreed to join the Michigan Liquid Asset Fund, which is a local government investment pool designed for school districts.
• Adopted the IRC 457 Plan, which is a plan to bring the district into compliance with new Internal Revenue Service regulations.
• Set a public hearing to consider changing the Board of Education members’ elections from odd years in May to even years in
  November. The hearing will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 12, preceding the regular Board of Education meeting at the Administration Building at 315 N. Lapeer Street in Lake Orion.