Revere HS Showcase 2017



Revere High School
Student-Centered Community Showcase 2017

Overview
The Revere High School 2017 Student-Centered Community Showcase took place on Thursday, April 27 from 4-6pm. This year the event planning process shifted from being teacher-driven to student-driven, with guidance from teacher-facilitators. 


Building on the design learning process, student planners were challenged to problem-solve and then implement important components of the showcase:
  • consider how best to engage all participants
  • conduct outreach efforts
  • define location and timing of student activities
  • specify set up logistics
  • design the flow of event
  • create wayfinding strategies
  • articulate attendee feedback loops
These experiences will serve as the basis of RHS’s ongoing approach to planning future RHS Community Showcase experiences.


Challenge Objective
Shift RHS Community Showcase to become a student-centered planning process

Learning Targets
Students will sort diverse information; make time-critical decisions; engage essential habits of mind

Assessment Criteria
Identify key patterns within the planning process 
Manage time-based interrelated tasks
Practice patience and perseverance 

Evidence of Learning
Learners will make sense of diverse information
Learners will prioritize tasks based on need
Learners will demonstrate habits of mind


Planning Process
Google Hangout sessions and in-person communications took place with the student planners and teacher facilitators throughout the process. During the in-person session, student planners dove deep into exploring the mindset of our audience, their wants and needs, motivation to attend, and prospective interactions. We considered how they might think, feel, and act during the beginning, middle, and end of the showcase. 

The goal of this phase of the project was to engage student planners in effective ways to empathize with attendees and gain high levels of awareness prior to the event. During the week of the event, we finalized activity locations, wrapped up wayfinding strategies and mappings, created attendee feedback cards, built signage, detailed set up logistics, and identified various forms of documentation. 


Survey Findings
Post-event survey findings of the showcase were overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating timely critical thinking, productive habits of mind, newly formed leadership skills, and welcomed self-motivation. See example data chart below, as well as student and facilitator comments:



Student Learning Outcomes
  • Learned new collaboration, planning, and time management skills, things I would not typically learn from the classroom or homework

  • Appreciated being able to do something I have never done before, want to be involved in similar future experiences

  • Developed a greater understanding of being patient and perseverant at the same time, even when stressed

  • Felt the showcase flowed nicely in a cheerful environment full of energy, turned out even better than expected

  • Surprised by the amount of effort that went into each student-led activity, each table was special and interactive

Teacher Facilitators Observations
  • Enjoyed guiding students as they took on leadership roles of planning the showcase, owned the learning experience

  • Students grew confidence, took charge of planning process

  • Students who are normally quiet became empowered, knowledgeable about the subject matter 

  • Surprised to see a few students accomplish so much, all were invested and committed to the project