Steven Zwisohn
Stuart A. Rothstein
Core Values
"Students design and carry out their own senior projects in their field of interest through this national program. Most of the school day during the second semester is freed up for experiential learning projects that give students a trial run at career-oriented or college preparatory experiences. In exchange for academic credit, students must keep a daily journal detailing experiences, readings, interviews, research, and reflection, meet weekly with a mentor, do research, and make a final presentation, which is evaluated by fellow students, teachers, and community members."
WISE Services has helped 50 very diverse high schools around the country design and implement successful transition programs for their high school seniors. Each WISE program is unique to the needs of the local school district, but all WISE programs have the following key elements:
- a task force of students, teachers and parents/community members (to plan, implement, evaluate and sustain the program)
- an experience-based project selected by the student (careet exploration, community service, research, creative/performing arts, self-improvement,...)
- a teacher-mentor selected by the student (to guide, encourage, nurture,...)
- a written journal(in which the student records reflections, experiences, research, reading,...)
- a final oral presentation (open to the public) by the student to an evaluation committee of students, teachers, parents and community members
WISE Services Philosophy
1) Each school-based experiental learning program must be designed to meet local needs. Effective programs must include parents, teachers, students, administrators, business, labor, and social agency leaders in collaborative planning, implementation, and ongoing evaluation.
2) Effective programs must ensure access to projects for all students. Experimental learning programs have demonstrated the ability to motivate, challenge and inspire students of all ability levels.
3) Effective programs must provide academic credit for experiental learning. As an integral component of the curriculum, the experiental learning program becomes equal in educational significance to classroom instruction.
4) Effective programs must foster an environment of mutual support, exchange, and collaboration. A consortium of diverse participating schools will enable each program to remain sustainable, dynamic, and responsive to change.
Source: WISE Services