Leveraging community to create meaningful place-based learning experiences
The students spoke and we listened: learning that lasts is iterative, relevant, and authentic. When students connect deeply to their local community and environment, learning becomes meaningful and memorable.
Place-based education (PBE) is both a mindset and a set of instructional practices that root learning in the local community. It engages students by connecting classroom content to the world around them. PBE might mean visiting a local river to study watershed systems, analyzing regional data sets in math, meeting with community experts to enrich understanding, exploring traditions like maple sugaring, or asking, “What is or was happening in our community during this national or global event?” In each case, students learn through direct connection to the people, landscapes, and stories that shape where they live.
At Hartford High School, teachers are collaborating to integrate PBE across all content areas. Through ongoing professional learning, site visits, and reflection, our educators are discovering ways to make learning more connected to where we live. This work is grounded in three guiding principles:
- Community as classroom – leveraging the people, spaces, and resources of our region as integral parts of the learning experience.
- Inquiry-driven learning – nurturing curiosity and investigation as central to understanding.
- Student-centered practice – empowering students to take ownership of their learning through authentic, relevant projects.
Building on this foundation, this year nine courses across English, Social Studies, Physical Education, Art, and Work-Based Learning have been intentionally designed to incorporate these principles into curriculum and instruction. In these classes, students engage with their local community while meeting learning goals in authentic and meaningful ways. As this work grows, we aim to expand the number of courses that offer place-based learning experiences across even more disciplines.What began as exploration is now expanding into a school-wide vision. Teachers are sharing practices, collaborating with school leaders to create a place-based graduation pathway, and developing ways to recognize students who complete this journey. This ongoing work is transforming how students learn at Hartford High School by making learning authentic, relevant, and rooted in our place. Click HERE to learn more about this project and follow our work.
