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The Met Center
Providence, RI
School Type: Public
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School Setting: Urban
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Level: High
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School Design: Alternative
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Content Presented By:
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The Education Alliance at Brown University
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Background Context
Demographics
- Houses grades 9-12
- Student population of 300
- 38% Caucasian, 32% Hispanic, 22% African American, 2% Asian, 6% other
- Six campuses operating at half capacity
- Eight advisors (teachers) per school who meet with advisory groups of 13-15 students each
- All advisors are Rhode Island-certified teachers
- 75% of students live in Providence; 25% from surrounding communities
- 52% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch
Background
In 1995, The Big Picture Company, a non-profit educational organization, wanted to turn traditional schooling on its ear. Co-directors Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor believed it would be more productive to focus on the student first instead of working with a preset curriculum and structured classroom learning. They also believed that students learned more when they were interested and engaged personally in meaningful work related to a topic. Thus, the Learning Through Internship (LTI) model was born, and implemented at The Met Center in Providence a year later. This model includes activities for determining a student's interests, strengths, talents, and professional goals; a personal learning plan developed by the student with input from an advisor, family members, and a mentor; and real-world internship experience with working adults. Personalizing a plan for education and connecting learning to the real world motivates students to achieve. The Met graduated its first class in 2000 and has expanded from two campuses to six.
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