Creative Arts Charter School : About Us
Our Mission

Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning integrates multiple subject areas into a topic of study. That is, a single project has an overarching theme, but students approach it from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Thus, by focusing on the project as a whole, students learn competency skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic where the emphasis is placed on these skills as tools, not as ends to the process. As they work through the project, students are also acquiring and exercising problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in practical situations. The Project-Based Learning process engages and motivates students to accomplish multi-level achievements. They increase core competencies and improve practical skills, as well as complete a tangible project.

For example, 6th Grade students at CACS embark on a math project that involves them in creating their own households, drawing cards for income and jobs, writing cover letters and resumes, creating food and clothing budgets, looking for apartments, drawing scale models of their apartments (computing area, perimeter, etc.), and budgeting their income to determine whether it covers their expenses. This "math" project provides opportunities to improve math, reading, writing, technology and drawing skills, as well as critical thinking and personal communications skills Ð all through an exercise with highly practical implications.

Both Reggio Emilia and Project-Based Learning promote self-motivation and competence through the interests of students, enhancing their propensity to become lifelong learners. These approaches are particularly appropriate for the multi-cultural and socio-economically diverse population of CACS because they respect differences and encourage many modalities of expression.