Site Description:
Big Picture South Burlington is an innovative school-within-a-school, currently serving 30 students who have chosen BPSB because they were looking for more meaning in their high school education. Students work with faculty to design their own individualized curriculum based on their passions, skills, and goals. Students learn through internships, independent projects, workshops, travel, and group experiences such as our yearly camping and service learning trips. Students intern at organizations ranging from farms to fashion-design firms.They have done projects ranging from organizing a theater performance for pre-schoolers to producing educational programming at the local television station. BPSB is a democratic learning community, in which students have voice on key decisions such as our weekly schedule, rules and expectations, and curriculum choices. We have been recognized as being at the cutting edge of education, and regularly host visitors or present about BPSB.Because we are a student-centered school, students do much of that hosting and presenting,and their pride and excitement for their school is inspirational. BPSB is an exciting, dynamic, and challenging learning community. Perhaps it is best summed up with a student’s comment when we were reflecting on what we did well and what we could improve: he said, “BPSB makes you a better person.” Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
VISTA Assignment Description:
The VISTA Member will have a number of roles at BPSB. Because we are only in our third year of existence, we are in the process of developing academic programs, recruiting volunteers, creating relationships with community organizations and internship sites, and presenting about BPSB to interested parties. The VISTA Member will be an integral part of our four-person staff and will have tremendous opportunity to make an impact at BPSB. Specifically, the VISTA Member will work on volunteer recruitment and training so that we have tutors to work with our students, developing internship experiences and curriculum, and developing avenues for student leadership within the school and community. We know that developing twenty-first century skills and having internship experiences give students the cultural capital to be successful in their lives. Therefore, the end goal of all the programs developed by the VISTA member will be cultivating skills, passion, and capacity for success for all of our students.
For More Information: Contact program coordinator Jason Cushner (jason(at)bigpicturesb.net). To Apply: Apply online at americorps.gov. Under “Join AmeriCorps” (right), click on“Advanced Opportunity Search.”