Education Through Experience

Northern Lights Community School (NLCS) uses the project-based learning model (PBL). This format is over 30 years old and is being successfully implemented in a number of charter schools around the state and country.

Other Features of the School

NLCS is sponsored by Audubon Center of the Northwoods.
School trips will be an integral part of the learning experiences of the students.
Daily transportation will be provided in the Grand Rapids attendance area.

Charter School Fast Facts

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of traditional school districts. They are managed by boards of directors elected by teachers and the parents of children enrolled.
Charter schools must be nonsectarian, and they may not administer admissions tests or charge tuition. Like other public schools, charters are expected to meet all state and federal health and safety guidelines, including the requirements of No Child Left Behind legislation. Funding for charter schools is based on the average state allocation per pupil. In cases where the state provides extra money for students from low-income families or for students with disabilities, those funds also follow enrolled students.
All charter schools share two fundamental likenesses. First, they are schools of choice. Students attend charter schools because they choose to, and teachers work in them because they want to. Second, all charter schools are accountable for the goals they have outlined to the state. If boards of directors do not operate in fiscally responsible ways, or if students fail to meet academic standards, charter schools can be closed.
In Minnesota, charters work closely with sponsors — school districts, education districts, nonprofit organizations, public or private colleges, universities, technical schools, or the Minnesota Department of Education — who oversee fiscal and academic progress of the school. The Northwood Foundation, a Duluth-based organization that focuses on providing effective programs for youth, sponsors Northern Lights Community School.

Benefits of Project-Based Learning

Students learn what they need to know, and acquire a depth of knowledge about their passions and interests.
Research and documentation skills are developed and refined.
Organizational and goal setting skills are closely monitored.
Increased independence and responsibility for learning are promoted.
Creativity and problem solving opportunities are plentiful.
Continual reflection and growing knowledge is expected of each learner (learning styles).
Students are more connected to their community because of flexibility of the schedule.

Structures for Learning

Each student is one of 19-22 students in a multi-age advisory group.
A sense of community and ownership is built in.
Advisors work with students and their parents to achieve project goals.
Students complete research projects to earn credits (not letter grades).
Several subject areas are incorporated into each project.
Seminars and practice situations help new studnts learn to create and complete effective projects.
On a typical school day, students spend most of their time working on projects.
Students' work includes time spent on service-learning.
Math is taught in small groups based on students' skill levels.