Konnoak Middle School invited visitors from across the district to sample projects from its first year under its new name during their first quarterly Hootenanny.
The Hootenanny, a riff on the school’s new branding as the Konnoak Owls, featured dozens of students presenting projects they’ve worked on through the first nine weeks of the school year. As a STEAM magnet school, the projects on display covered a wide variety of subjects, including poetry, urban planning, and experiments with chemical reactions. Principal Franchesca Gantt felt the event was the perfect way to show off how much students are learning this year.
“It’s all about letting people see how well we’re doing,” Gantt said. “We’re letting outside eyes see the progress we’re making.”
The event was planned with help from Open Way Learning, a non-profit that encourages innovative education through project-based learning (and which coincidentally shares Konnoak’s owl theming). Co-founder and COO Adam Haigler says that experiential learning initiatives are more successful when the whole community can see them in action. Not only does it provide accountability for the school, he says, but it also draws positive attention to students who may not always get to share their accomplishments outside of their classrooms.
“One of the elements of high-quality project-based learning is a public audience,” Haigler said. “We want to give people a chance to celebrate these kids and what they’re learning.”
Student ambassadors played a starring role in guiding content for the Hootenanny. They selected projects that they were the proudest of to present, they welcomed guests at the front door and instructed them on how to fill out feedback cards, and they even proposed extra features for the event, including a dance performance connected to Hispanic Heritage Month. Cerenity Hutchinson, an eighth grader who designed the flyer for the Hootenanny, felt empowered by the experience of making a unique contribution to her school’s culture.
“It takes creativity, practice, and positivity,” Hutchinson said of her process. “I made something for our school that everyone can see, and it feels good.”
Konnoak is planning to hold Hootenannies once per quarter going forward to keep district leaders up to date with how students are growing, and student ambassadors will take on more responsibility at future events until they can be considered fully student operated. If future events are as comprehensive and polished as this one was, district leaders are excited for the future of Konnoak.
“I’m really impressed with what they’ve put together, especially since some of them are sixth graders,” said Principal Coach Malacy Williams. “I like seeing the students this engaged.”