It has been a very ENGAGING year!

Project Engage! hit the ground running for the Winter term, this time with Mount Allison offering UNST 4991: Community as Classroom in conjunction with a variety of projects at Marshview and project partners from the Sackville community. In addition to maintaining most of the Fall slate of projects, we were privileged to partner with Fort Folly First Nation and include a group on Indigenous ways of knowing. In addition, the theatre group has set its sights high this year, and will offer Shrek :the Musical on April 30.

What has been the impact of Engage!? Student response has been overwhelmingly positive, with students identifying the opportunity to pursue special interests and to be partners in directing their own learning as major benefits. Parents report that their children are excited to attend these sessions and seem motivated to continue projects that they have been working on over the term. Members of R-PEACE have shared the Engage! program with government, business groups and teachers from other parts of the province; they have received positive feedback and have had requests to share the model. From a research perspective, it has been fascinating to see the convergence of passion projects, community engagement, new learning spaces, and student learning goals in complex and organic ways.