Project Lab St. Louis Annual Report 2021

Pr oject Lab St. Lou is STUDENT-CENTERED

M ULTIDISICPLINARY H ANDS-ON

COM M UNITY RESPONSIVE

An n u al Repor t 2021 With a focus on well-being, curiosity, and creativity, we design and implement project-based curriculum in public schools.

The Restoration and Wellness Center, one of two campuses in the Ferguson-Florissant School District where, under the auspices of the Smithsonian's National Musuem of Natural History, Propject Lab St. Louis is launching the Permaculture Project of Metropolitan St. Louis.

TEACH ING FOR JOY & JUSTICE

We're inspired by calls from researchers and practitioners over the last several decades to consider learning and development holistically. The illustration above represents Carol Lee's 2010 Presidential Address at the annual American Educational Research Association conference. in which she described the interconnected factors that shape the learning and development of every growing child in a social and cultural context..

TRANSFORM ING STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC SCH OOL "In my opinion this class is fun. I look forward to coming to this class every A-Day. If I?m having a bad morning I can come to this class and it will make my day. This class has showed me how to relax and control myself more, even though sometimes I don?t show it. I think I have grown up because at the beginning of the year I use to get phone calls everyday and now I have realized that I just need to chill out and relax." ?Anthony H.

"I would describe what we do in Project Lab as a community discussion. We?re always talking about things happening in our community good or bad and we give our opinions on them. We also type our opinions and ideas instead of just talking about them. I have learned that expressing my feelings and speaking up matters because everyone needs to share." ? Ebony J.

NURTURING INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPM ENT "I was talking to an old friend of mine about my middle school and I thought of Project Lab and the things we did. Honestly the topics we discussed as a class went over my head when I was a kid but I?m older now, almost 17, and definitely grew up mentally. Even seeing a lot of the things that go on outside our homes in America made me think of when we would talk about these kinds of topics in class all the time. I didn?t see it until now but the topics we discussed in class were so controversial and had a lot of meaning behind each subject we spoke on. I can definitely see me walking in class today and talking about everything that?s been happening these last couple of months in 2020. The best part about Project Lab is how the environment felt safe, like it was okay just to speak your mind. Even though I was closed off and quiet then, I realized that class helped me to be who I am today. I'm definitely a better writer and can speak my mind a whole lot better now." ?Alex W.

INSPIRING W RITERS & READERS "I would describe what we do in Project Lab as cool, chill, and self-relaxing. I mean it helps with writing. What I honestly would say I learned in Project Lab is writing. I say writing because if I didn?t have this class I wouldn?t love writing as much as I do today. I think I have grown up a lot. At first I didn?t do anything that involved paragraphs, essays or anything with writing. Now I love writing. Everything I do I want to write write write write write write. ? Lea G.

DECEM BER GREETINGS Dear Friends, It's been a year of transition for Project Lab St. Louis. Here's the short version of a long story!

Back in 2013, I was hired by what was then the Normandy School District to serve as an instructional coach in the English Language Arts department. At the end of that tumultuous year, when Missouri education officials took over the district, I was rehired as a classroom teacher for what turned out to be another tumultuous year in the district.

In the summer of 2015, I launched Project Lab St. Louis in order to support more collaborative, fruitful, meaningful ways of teaching and learning. For the next four school years, our work in the middle school and high school flourished.

Although we created curriculum alongside other schools in other districts, Project Lab St. Louis was established in and for the Normandy Schools Collaborative. Normandy was home.

During the summer of 2020, with the world deep in COVID, leadership in Normandy changed. The superintendent and principal who'd supported our work left. New leaders were hired and Project Lab St. Louis was no longer welcome in Normandy.

Like many others, I was deeply disappointed by this turn of events.

However, the mission of this organization has always been to enrich and invigorate public school curriculum from the inside out, and I remained confident that our work would continue elsewhere.

As this calendar year draws to a close, I'm delighted to report that Project Lab St. Louis is participating in an inspiring collaboration with the Ferguson-Florissant School District. I'm thrilled to be working alongside one of my former

Normandy principals, Isaiah Melendez, now serving as principal of Ferguson-Florissant's Restoration and Wellness Center; as well as Carlisha Elam, assistant principal of Griffith Intermediate School.

We're launching a big, ambitious project, one that addresses education and environmental justice, food security, ecosystemic stewardship, and equitable responses to global climate-change.

The seeds of the project were sewn by Project Lab supporter Kirk Johnson, who's Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Johnson kindly introduced me to Carla Easter, Director of Education at the NMNH. Under the auspices of the Smithsonian?s National Museum of Natural History, I'm proud to introduce the Permaculture Project of Metropolitan St. Louis. More about this on our website and in future updates!

Throughout 2020-21, we also completed the first 200+passages of our student-reviewed, open-source readings in Biology, Physical Science, U.S. History, and World History. These passages are written to spark students' curiosity, align with academic units, prompt class discussion and writing, provide opportunities to read independently many times throughout the day, and support secondary teachers with respect to literacy development.

In fall 2020, we were awarded a second generous grant from the Missouri Humanities Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Thanks to these resources, participating students in Ferguson-Florissant will experience LivingQuestions, our seminar-style exploration of students's own pressing questions.

Our most meaningful project in 2020 was

publishing Ralph Ruffin's memoir. Mr. Ruffin, a founding board member of Project Lab St. Louis, describes his experience as a young police officer serving in North St. Louis County, including his experience during the Ferguson uprising, his life as a school resource officer in Normandy, and his recent path as a youth advocate and educator. Please visit www.projectlabstlouis.org/publications to read Mr. Ruffin's powerful work.

Project Lab St. Louis remains fully accountable to students and families. Thanks to your support, we continue to demonstrate what a public/private partnership can accomplish when student experience is placed front and center, and curriculum is designed for long term achievement and community vitality. Project Lab's unswervingly student-centered approach leads to student engagement and academic achievement.

Please visit our website: www.projectlabstlouis.org.

And of course, as I write every year, please help spread the word and contribute to Project Lab St. Louis at whatever level is right for you. You can donate right from our website and know that every dollar makes a difference!

Wishing you health and peace in these challenging times,

Inda

Spiral, Michelle S. (2016) SEL F-AW AREN ESS & I N N ER PEACE REL EVAN T READI N G & W RI TI N G

CON STRUCTI VE COM M UN I CATI ON

CROSS-COM M UN I TY EX PERI EN CE

PURPOSEFUL & CREATI VE I N QUI RY

FINANCES 2020-2021 Item

Cost

% of Total

Notes

Appeal f or 2021-22

Student reviewers, editors

$3414

26%

Open source curriculum

$100 Soil, seeds, fertilizer

Currents

$5110

40%

Professional graphic designer ($5000); student editor ($110)

$200 Outdoor classroom supplies, COVID PPE, ponchos, easels, etc.

Postage

$85

<1%

Mailings

$300 12 x Clip-on macro lens kits

Original writing

$2000

16%

Ralph Ruffin's memoir

Printing

$450

3%

Copying, printing of Currents

$500 Garden tools

Moving & Storage

$1300

10%

U-Haul, storage unit for one year

$1,000 Five day-long presentations by guest artists and speakers $2,000 Supplies needed for the Mobile Humanities Lab $5,000+Staff development -- gardeners, teaching artists, etc.

Website

$450

3%

Squarespace & ISSUU

Nonprofit administration & development

$75

<1%

Banking fees, Missouri Secretary of State

TOTAL

$12,884

100%

$60,000 Full-time staff member for one year of community-based, socially distanced teaching

TH ANK YOU TO OUR 2020-21 SUPPORTERS! Financial Support

In-Kind Support

Karen Benson

Philip Boyd

Dolli Holland & Jerome Coe

David Dean

Charlie Dee

Carlisha Elam

Jim Giacone & Rodney West

Carla Easter

Carol Gresser Stephen Henderson & James LaForce Kirk Johnson Karen Kalish Sheila Labrecque Joanne Myers Missouri Humanities Council Susan Rudin Eve Schaenen Roberta Leit Schwarz Ruth Siteman Jeff Toobin & Amy McIntosh Josephine & Richard Weil Joan Weill

Michael Dee

Krista Galleberg Eric Handley Kirk Johnson Karen Kalish Brittany Kelleher Isaiah Melendez Ralph Ruffin Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts

"

Vision Every young person attending their local public school will learn and grow in a caring environment that nourishes their well-being, curiosity, creativity, and community.

Mission Project Lab St. Louis designs and implements multidisciplinary, hands-on curricula conducive to academic achievement and relevant to students' lives in community.

Project Lab St. Louis is a public charity, exempt from federal income tax under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). We recognize, value, and build upon individual and community strengths, competencies, and talent. We are committed to regional cultural exchange and educational equity. We create curricula in partnership with students, families, colleagues, and community partners.

Inda Schaenen, Executive Director Email contact@projectlabstlouis.org Website www.projectlabstlouis.org Phone 314.605.6204