Gateway High School's entire student body recently participated in Project Week, an exciting intersession program in which students step out of the day-to-day classroom routine and choose one of more than 25 different courses to participate in for the duration of the week, spanning roughly thirty hours of instructional time.
Courses included, but were not limited to, art outings, stagecraft, jewelry making, music, poetry, knitting and crocheting (with a feminist twist!), calligraphy and origami, boating, boxing, cycling, yoga, extreme sports (don’t worry we kept everyone safe!), mindfulness and yoga, salsa dancing, volleyball, baking, cooking, conserving the planet, strategizing games, visiting museums, creating comics, and building student groups like the Burl Toler Scholars Program and the Asian Pacific Activism group. Click here to see the course descriptions.
“The week provides teachers and students with the opportunity to bond, have fun, and explore different interests,” said Molly Orner, Gateway High School Humanities Teacher and Project Week Coordinator. “By changing the rhythm of the school day, students see that learning is an ongoing process that takes place both inside and outside the classroom that can be fun.”
"My favorite part about Project Week was having the time to talk to other kids and get to know them,” said Alejandro, a Gateway High School senior who participated in the Cooking and Connections Project Week Course. “I really like to cook and I’m excited that I got to learn new cooking skills that I’ll use when I cook on my own. We cooked empanadas and they were the best!”
The Gateway community shared their rice cookers and stand mixers, donated yarn and batteries, and businesses opened their doors at no cost. From the incredible time commitment it takes teachers to plan and implement Project Week, to the volunteers who shared their time and expertise, it takes a village to make this week happen.
A selection of photos from Project Week can be found here.