Sutter team wins big at international "School of the Future" contest
The students took home a second-place prize - the Award of Distinction - at the Oct. 12 conference in Philadelphia, out of 3,000 entries internationally. The two girls also won state and regional honors before receiving the international award.
Teams were challenged to plan and design sustainable and resilient learning spaces that encourage innovation, critical thinking, and collaborative teamwork. Here is a description of Sutter Middle's project, from a SchoolsNEXT news release:
What an exciting journey we had with the Sutter Middle School team as they led us into the future and its endless possibilities- Crecerus. A play on the Latin word to grow, the Crecerus Institute's watchword became "with wisdom we grow.'
No idea is a bad idea at Creserus, rather learning from mistakes sows the seeds for curiosity and living an intelligent and useful life. Gathering ideas from all the stakeholders, and applying their mantra of "rigor, relevance and relationships," their design goal addressed the problems they found in their current learning environment.
With an eye to the connection between learning and the global community, Creserus challenges the traditional grade structure, offering an environment for self-paced learning, grouped by passion and interest in four dormitory houses: Strexora for aspiring artists; Aulara for those who follow the path of technology and science; Cessna houses future leaders who strive to make this world a better place; and, Razelle for those who push themselves to their physical limits. While core academies cover the basics during the day, the four houses offer opportunities to study in their areas of interest, strengthening a student's career path.
Each house manages an urban farming pod that produces energy as its contents are cultivated and nurtured. Those who do not work in the field are responsible for cooking and cleaning and all are encouraged to provide community service.
Points are earned and may be used for the snack bar and to ride the Maglev train, a magnetic levitation train providing frictionless propulsion that enables a train to "float" above the track, capable of speeds in excess of 350 mph.