Teton Science Schools Announces New Director of National Place-Based Education School Network Charles C. Campbell
Teton Science Schools recently announced the appointment of Chicago education innovator Charles C. Campbell as director of the Place Network, a collaborative association of rural K-12 schools engaging students through place-based learning. Campbell brings more than 25 years of turnaround leadership and hands-on operations to the role with a mission of promoting local-to-global contexts, competency-based assessments and bringing meaningful impact to students' communities while advancing the learning design as a new national standard.
JACKSON, Wyo., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Teton Science Schools is pleased to announce that the new Director of the Place-Based Education School Network (Place Network) is Chicago education innovator Charles C. Campbell. The Place Network is a collaborative network of rural K-12 schools that believe students are more engaged when teachers connect learning to the people, places and experiences in each student's local community through place-based education. One of place-based learning's key tenets involves measuring student competencies to achieve certain educational objectives before progressing to the next level. The customized approach of place-based education has been shown to improve learner engagement and outcomes, community development and critical thinking and leadership skills. Teton Science Schools, based in Jackson, Wyoming, in partnership with the Rural Schools Collaborative, oversees the Place Network, which helps teachers and schools start or strengthen place-based education models in their classrooms, schools and districts.
Campbell brings to his director role more than 25 years of turnaround leadership experience and hands-on operations, including with the Chicago Department of Education. His experience includes a central role in the Chicago Board of Education's launch of 50 new schools under the Renaissance School initiative, which sought innovative approaches to improve Chicago-area high school curricula and outcomes. He is also credited with launching several personalized teaching methods designed to meet students' individual needs and interests, such as the University of Chicago's 6 to 16 Urban Education Institute framework and Chicago Public Schools' Multi-Tiered Support System. He will remain based in Chicago and work remotely for the Jackson-based Science Schools.
"Charles has an extensive background in leading school districts to achieve significant sustained growth in academic goals, benchmarks and other data metrics in pursuit of organizational excellence and high performance," said Leslie Cook, Interim Head of Professional Learning at Teton Science Schools. "The Place Network is thrilled to have at the helm an educational professional with extensive expertise in educational reform, school design, instructional coaching and exceptional team development and management."
Campbell assumed the role in early August, and stated, "While traditional education curriculum designs helped establish a baseline for quality education in the early 20th century, we now know that they are limited in that they isolate a student's environment and place from their learning paths. All children should be taught in a manner that includes their 'place' in their learning design. I am a staunch supporter of project-based, inquiry-based and competency-based learning, all key elements of the place-based education approach. I look forward to advancing the place-based education model to promote meaningful connections for students that are inclusive, relevant and learner-centered. My hope is that nationwide, we will soon see place-based education as the standard for cultivating personalized learning through local to global contexts, competency-based assessments and providing an authentic systematic approach for students to make meaningful impact in communities through their curriculum."
Campbell will work closely with Austin-based Sharon Laidlaw, the organization's first Director of Online Learning. The TSS Professional Learning team has deep expertise and commitment to partnership, helping the educators who participate in any of the programs further their own teaching or learning objectives and strengthening the methods many already put into practice on their own. Learn more about virtual professional development for schools.
"The world is always changing, and we can give our students the tools to be more adaptive and even appreciate this. And right now, that is more important than ever," said Toni Boush, Place-Based Education Workshop participant and Principal at Hailey Elementary in Hailey, Idaho. To learn more, visit tetonscience.org/what-we-do/professional-development-and-consulting/.
About Teton Science Schools:
Teton Science Schools (TSS) inspires curiosity, engagement and leadership through transformative place-based education. For more than 15,000 learners per year, the place-based approach increases engagement, learning, and community impact. Located on four campuses in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Teton Valley, Idaho, TSS programs include Mountain Academy, an independent school serving preschool through 12th-grade students, field education for schools and visitors from around the world, educational wildlife tours in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, educator development and a national network of rural, place-based education schools. http://www.tetonscience.org.
Media Contact
Ingrid Daffner Krasnow, Teton Science Schools, 307.734.3733, [email protected]
SOURCE Teton Science Schools
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