ImprovementBase
Develop School-Based Community Science Labs
Students can and should be involved in the science-informed processes of community-based cultural evolution within their own school.
Because this can be a complex task, schools should have some form of Community Science Lab (CSL), a group of students that are supported in more systematic approaches to school improvement through educational design thinking.
- Type Improvement theme, Systems-scale leverage
- School Improvement Goals School collective efficacy, School field site development
- Learning goals Community Science Competency, Cooperation Competency, Interdisciplinary Thinking, Metacognitive Competency
- Relevant projects Evolving Schools, Prosocial Schools, Prosocial Youth
Possible directions:
- Explore if there are already groups that might be able to adopt or collaborate around the tasks of a CSL. It is not important to call the group a “Community Science Lab”, that is just an option, but what is important is keeping a focus on the two very general areas identified in our Theory of School Improvement.
- Often in can be helpful to begin by engaging students in one or more of our Conversation Starters.
- Use our Community Science Field Guide to School Culture as a starting place for some basic concepts and ideas for further improvements.
- Continue to develop your local CSL through social learning and cooperations within the Prosocial Schools community.
