CVU RISEs to the Challenge

The new RISE program at CVU began on May 30th and culminated today with an Exhibition Day. There were four sessions this morning. All students were prepared to present about their RISE experience at least once, and visit others to learn about their experiences during the other times.

We shared a post a few weeks ago about RISE. Hopefully that helps readers for whom this is new understand RISE. Over the past two weeks, learning has been on display in many different forms. The photos below and descriptions of what we saw this morning represent a tiny fraction of what transpired over the past two weeks. From crossword puzzles to podcasting, environmental studies to earning safety certifications, CVU students truly did RISE to the challenge.

The Sustainable Agricultural group was at The Donegan Family Farm learning about organic dairy production.

This student took on an independent project to learn how to be a farrier. 

The energy around the building today was palpable. In the library and in the cafeteria, students who had focused on independent projects showcased their learning. That spilled outside where there was a horse and a sailboat!

The sailboat was an on-going project to get it cleaned up and also ready for the season. That student spent time getting certified to teach others how to sail. 

The horse and her rider spent time reconnecting for the coming competitive season. 

Also in the cafeteria, we engaged with students who gained knowledge about machine learning and coding with Python (a programming language). Another student spent time coordinating an event with All-Breed Rescue this coming weekend, and bringing along Wesson, an adorable dog that's up for adoption.

In the library, we found students knitting, many many students knitting. Who knew that they could learn so much in so little time and find a way to give back in the process? We also spoke with a student who had done a lot of research into how LGBTQ people are treated in Chechnya. It is alarming and we were glad to become more informed.

The student in this photo had never used needles or hooks before RISE, and now she's Knitting for a Cause (all students picked a charity for their products!). 

The art on display, having been created in the last 2 weeks, was tremendous. 

We also had the opportunity to visit the French Cabaret in the theater. All of the songs performed were in French, with amazing choreography and music to accompany the rich voices. 

One CVU teacher shared this reflective thought on Twitter one week into RISE:
Here are some things #RISEcvu has brought to our community: deeper connections between students and teachers, a sense of validation in people’s interests, students and teachers using space creatively, and a re-imagining of what school can look like. It’s been a blast.

Congratulations to all who helped make RISE possible in its first year, especially Abbie Bowker and Peter Langella. Teachers saw new ways of engaging students, students pursued their interests, and deep learning was accompanied by fun!