Community Engagement and Belonging The Director of Community Engagement and
Electives Student-centered learning and inquiry are pathways to discovery; this is a foundational tenet of the Liggett Approach. Our Middle School electives support this mission by offering students a wide variety of courses across the curriculum that spark enthusiasm and curiosity. Electives including Innovation and Design, where students use design thinking and digital tools to solve local and global issues, and Film Making, where students produce three to five short films using digital media techniques and software, allow students to explore new ideas and expand on their growing passions. Maker Space: The Knights’ Forge Problem solving is everything, and the Middle School offers a dedicated space to do just that. Our maker space, also known as The Knights’ Forge, is a space consisting of three adjacent makerspace rooms that support students in the design thinking process: design, prototype, fabricate and test. While there is a design thinking class that every Middle School student takes, students from all divisions have access to this innovative space. Students build projects that address questions and problems by coding, and the use of C&C machines, 3D printers, laser cutters, and a variety of traditional manufacturing tools. In our mission to make school matter, our Knight’s Forge maker space gives students the opportunity to create artifacts that demonstrate their understanding.
Belonging (CEB), through the office of Community Engagement and Belonging, offers programming to support and advance ULS efforts in creating compassionate and equitable communities, learners, and thinkers. The programming is based upon national and state best practices, standards, student and community feedback and data, and faculty input. A major foundational component of the programming is a proactive protocol to speak up against harmful language through the Words Create Worlds series protocol: Interrupt, Question, Educate, and Echo (IQEE). The goal of CEB programming is to empower students to think before they speak and if necessary manage potential difficult conversations and situations. The intended outcome is to enhance all students’ socialization process (the act of mixing socially with others) and sense of belonging. ULS seeks to have all students engaged in active awareness of how their words and actions affect others. The programming in Middle School takes place through advisory and grade-level lessons which consist of module lessons with videos, writing prompts, reflections, collaborative conversations with peers, and projects. There are clubs and groups offered through CEB as well, such as various affinity groups and the Changemakers Club. Changemakers is a club devoted to bringing students together to bring all Middle School students together around the ideas of diversity, equity, and inclusion through initiatives, projects, and activities. Each division will have access to videos, guest speakers, and outside resources when appropriate and as needed. Student-Led Clubs Student-led clubs provide an opportunity within the school day for students to connect outside of the classroom, share their passions, and develop their leadership skills. The offerings are driven by a range of student interests and passions and vary by session. Students interested in leading a club solicit a faculty sponsor, develop a framework of activities for their club, and pitch the club idea to their peers at a Club Fair. Student-led clubs provide the opportunity to lead, learn new skills, support existing interests, stay physically active, and connect with friends and classmates across the division. From astrology and cooking to spikeball and Minecraft, students are able to lead, and participate, from a place of passion.
31 Middle School
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