Learning Approach
Our learning approach capitalizes on students' unique strengths and passions as they design their education through personal choice and authentic opportunities. Through these educational models, AVA cultivates a supportive learning community that collectively cultivates critical thinkers and community leaders with a strong sense of purpose. Learning also expands beyond the school walls; through community based learning and school learning excursions, students are exposed to new experiences and opportunities. By learning with and from community members, business partners, and local experts, students acquire the skills necessary to succeed in the modern workplace and post-secondary education.
Project-Based
Project-based learning (PBL) promotes student’s education through active engagement in real-world and personally meaningful projects. Instead of learning content and being tested on it, students are engaging with the material and using it to inform their creation of a product, model, or presentation. This way, students demonstrate their development of skills and understanding of the information in a way that is personally meaningful to them. Through this process, students develop in-depth content knowledge, gain skills valuable in today’s workplace and in life, such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills.
Personalized
Personalized learning allows students to co-design their education based on their unique abilities, strengths, skills, preferences, interests, backgrounds, and experiences. Learning at their own pace, students won’t be held back or left behind. Through personalized learning, students are active agents of their own learning and are able to exercise voice and choice in determining what and how they learn. To aid in achieving the objectives of a personalized education, each student will develop a personalized learning plan. Through personalized learning, AVA will create a self-directed environment for students to learn and grow to their full potential.
Commmunity- Based
Community-based learning (CBL) incorporates meaningful community engagement with course content so that students get real-world experience while earning credits. CBL consists of a variety of strategies designed to engage students in learning at high standards, including community leadership and stewardship, civic education, environmental education, place-based learning, service learning, and work-based learning. Students can choose to take any of these paths throughout their time at Algoma Venture Academy. Through all of these strategies, the community provides the context for learning, students build on what they already know, and their work focuses on addressing the community’s vital conditions