Welcome to our Network of Awesome Educators 

We are a group of educators, representing Allegan, Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa Areas, who want to bring industry and relevance into our classrooms.  By using Design Thinking and Project Based Learning, we hope to give our students opportunities to solve real challenges and fine-tune their 21st Century Skills.  Along with this, our goal is to continue to work together to make each educator better and to help more students become ready for their next steps.

Design Thinking

Project Based Learning

​Design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test. Involving five phases—Observation, Investigation, Incubation, Solutions and Validation—it is most useful to tackle problems that our partners are facing.
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Skills4Success

The Skills4Success (S4S) Framework is a set of 7 interrelated skills that have been developed through a collaborative research process with local businesses/organizations, colleges/universities, and school districts. While certain skills within this set may be more prevalent or important at times, they are not meant to be viewed in isolation from one another. For instance, the ability to communicate effectively often involves a strong foundation in technology literacy and the ability to effectively collaborate and work with others.

A structured approach to learning where students tackle meaningful projects that address significant content. 
Growth - Strengthen and interest-based yet open to taking risks. 
Supportive - Educator facilitated, yet student-led.
Authentic - Real and focused, yet open to new innovative possibilities.
Holistic - Product yet process focused.

​Community Connection

Post-secondary institutions and employers desire that today's students to be prepared for the challenges of the 21st Century. Whether it's a career-based track or a college-bound pathway, our counties provide students with the resources and training they need to become responsible and productive members of their communities. Through our classrooms, we offer innovative tools and experiences to help students make decisions that will positively impact not only their career decisions but they are able to collaborate with local partners to solve real challenges.

We learn the work by doing the work! Let's keep building incredible experiences for our students.