How can one project culminate in a Wurundjeri Elder officially welcoming students and teachers onto the stolen land on which their school sits? How can one project transform previously disengaged teenagers, into empathetic contributors towards reconciliation between First Nations People and settler Australians?

That's the power of PBL when learners are given an authentic problem to tackle.

In this episode, Christopher Bush, Head of Student Voice and Leadership at University HIgh School, unpacks the First Nations Project and provides ideas for how we as learner-centered practitioners can:

Co-Create projects with students and experts in the community
Break down the walls between school and community and find authentic problems to design projects around
Help foster learner agency and voice in managing their own projects under the same driving question
Scaffold experiences to allow for DEEP learning

Register for the 12 Shifts Webinar to unpack Learner-Centered PBL Environments: Here

Chris' Bio:

Chris Bush is currently the Head of Student Voice and Leadership at the University High School in Parkville. Previously working as a Leading Teacher (Curriculum and Innovation) at Prahran High School, Chris designed and implemented an agentic and engaging project-based learning curriculum focussing on various topics including Indigenous Perspectives, Sustainability, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Prior to this work, Chris worked for the Safe Schools Coalition Australia, where he designed and implemented National curriculum resources to make schools safer for LGBTQIA+ students. Chris is passionate about co-designing engaging learning experiences with his learners and listening authentically to their desires and interests, allowing those to drive their inquiries.

First Nations Reconciliation Project- Creating Empathetic Citizens with Christopher Bush

The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning