feature
In a recent article, a major U.S. technology publication claimed to have found the next Steve Jobs, far away from the high-tech offices of Silicon Valley. In this feature, Wired magazine discovered a media darling they believed could be a future tech genius. Paloma Noyola Bueno, a 12-year-old girl in a Mexican border town attends school next to a municipal waste dump. This preteen, despite the dire conditions in which she lives, achieved the highest score on the SAT equivalent in the nation.
adrian.edu
But it wasn’t her disparaging surroundings the article focused on, it was the unique teaching methods of her instructor – an approach that allows students to tap into their own curiosity and self-learning to solve problems. These teaching methods, emphasizing self-exploration, are not foreign to those of the diverse faculty at Adrian College. Here, there is an approach to learning that continues to garner attention as a unique liberal arts experience. From academic accolades to distinctive programming, the impact of innovative thinking is notable. What began with the Renaissance initiatives of building a new legacy–rich with improved facilities and academic achievement–has taken a ripple effect all its own.
How one college is changing its future.
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For Adrian College, it is the exceptional classroom experience complete with hands-on opportunities and self-exploration that leaves a lasting impact on its students. These are the programs that have brought the seventh consecutive class over 500 and an increased national interest in what this small liberal arts college in Michigan is doing. In 2013, AC unveiled a new, innovative, two-semester core program curriculum that will be mandatory for every first year student to complete. This “Reacting to the Past” teaching method focuses on writing, research and speaking. More than simply role-play, the program requires students to engage in healthy and fierce debate. The dynamic program is thought provoking and encourages students to think differently than they would in a more traditional setting. Through this core initiative, Adrian kick-starts every student’s mind and sets each off on their personal journey to a well-rounded degree. When the College partnered with Lincoln Elementary School for International Baccalaureate programming, the impact on area pre-K students was immediate. The resulting experience for teacher education graduates was equally dynamic. These graduates may just be inspiring a future Bulldog.