Faculty Presentations on Empowering Students Inspire Educators at Regional Conference

Second grade teachers Mrs. Jill Jaiswal and Mrs. Caylyn Wells, and kindergarten teacher Ms. Michelle Ulrich, traveled to Orlando for the 2019 Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) Annual Convention. They spoke about their interest in integrating design-thinking strategies from The Launch Cycle, first introduced in the 2018 faculty summer reading book, “Launch,” written and developed by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani.

Mrs. Jaiswal and Mrs. Wells shared how Out-of-Door’s school-wide sustainability initiative motivated students to begin (what they thought would be) a small sustainability project. Instead, they said, the project has surpassed their original expectations, encompassing not only the Historic Siesta Key Campus, but the Siesta Key community as well. One of the key factors of “Launch,” they explained, is to empower students and encourage their natural curiosity, thoughtfulness, and desire to learn more - this initiative has done all that, and more.

During her FCIS session, Ms. Ulrich spoke about the evolution of a food waste audit initiated in 2018. The original idea - determining how much usable food was being thrown away daily at the end of each grade’s lunch period, and learning what options for redistribution would be feasible - evolved into a campus-wide composting program after the audit revealed that the school’s food waste was minimal. Ms. Ulrich shared the resources, plans, and strategies she used to obtain a grant, research composting equipment, and connect with local composting and sustainability experts willing to share their expertise with our students.

At the end of each of their sessions, all three teachers were approached by attendees eager to learn more about the sustainability initiatives we have in place at Out-of-Door. They were energized by the positive reception they received from their audiences, and pleased they could share ideas with fellow educators who want to make a difference on their campuses.

“Launch starts with awareness, problem-solving, and ideas of how we can truly make a difference,” said Mrs. Wells. The ODA faculty members came away knowing that they had not only shared the innovative ideas they have brought into their classrooms, but the knowledge that they have inspired fellow teachers to do the same in their own.