BROKEN ARROW, OK (OBV) – A northeast Oklahoma school district is innovating to bring a cutting-edge project-based learning environment to their students.
“If you want something that’s different, if you want a challenge, if you want to challenge yourself, if you want to learn new things, then this is a place you want to go to,” said Jackson Mulcahy, a Broken Arrow sophomore.
“This place is for students who want voice and choice, who want to take the reins and want a voice in their education,” said senior Lexi Gardner.
The Vanguard Academy, the latest addition to the Broken Arrow school system, is the new secondary school concept ideal for students who crave an active, project-based learning environment.
“Broken Arrow Public Schools is doing things differently than a traditional school setting,” said Superintendent Chuck Perry. “It’s not a teacher centered classroom. It’s a student-centered classroom where the teacher is more the facilitator. I’ve noticed when students go ask a teacher a question, the teacher doesn’t immediately answer it. They may answer with the question themselves to get that student to think a little bit more.”
“It’s actually a massive community,” said Eli Hundley, a Vanguard sophomore. “It’s not like you’ve just got kids going to school, getting forced to sit there and go through high school. It’s students who want to work together and strive to do things better than anyone has before.”
Officials say this is hands-on learning at its finest. Instructors at Vanguard often partner with the surrounding Broken Arrow community, identifying real projects and challenges that need solutions. Those opportunities are then brought back into the classroom, where students apply their skills to tackle the problems head-on.
“So if I’m learning trigonometry, I want to have a physical representation of that,” said Hundley. “I can’t just see it because it’s there on the board. Yes, I understand where it’s going, but I don’t understand how I can use it, where I can use it, how I can use it better, or how I can apply it in everyday life.”
“The project-based learning really, makes it an interesting, educational experience because you’re not going through a textbook chapter by chapter,” said Perry. “You’re actually working on real world problems and able to dig in a little bit deeper. Students can see how math is relevant to the real world; they find out English or science or history is relevant to their success in any career field that they do choose.”
Education leaders say the school has its fair share of already accomplished students, but that’s not the whole story.
“It was one of those things where I just had no passion for it anymore. I didn’t have a passion for learning. And then, when I started going here (Vanguard Academy), it all changed for me,” said Mulcahy. “I actually started to like, put a smile on my face when I got something done. I was like, ‘Man, I’m actually really proud of that.”
Recently, leadership at The State Chamber of Oklahoma toured the facility and saw firsthand the future of education. Chamber officials are especially impressed when it comes to producing the team members of tomorrow’s workforce.
“I was blown away when I toured the Vanguard Academy. I was really excited to go see it,” said State Chamber President and CEO Chad Warmington. “Chuck Perry invited me over, but I don’t think I was prepared for what I saw, which was unbelievable innovation. There was a learning model that’s different than most schools. The engagement from the students was real and palpable. When we were able to walk around and talk to students, they told us they loved being there. They were learning in a much different way than you see in a traditional school. They were learning critical thinking and how to work together, problem solving, and being creative. It was really inspiring. Vanguard is a model for the whole state, and frankly, a model for the nation. We’re really excited to see where they go with that.”
“It’s brought me out of my shell. It’s proven to me that I am making a difference in my community. Vanguard has taught me a lot about myself and what I’m passionate about and what I want to do moving forward,” said Gardner.
“I can’t have been more impressed. Vanguard is a really special place, and I hope we can replicate it in a lot of different places around Oklahoma,” said Warmington.
