32. Desert Sands Middle School

District: No. 74 (Gold Trail)

This project examines how interdisciplinary, project-based learning will promote student engagement, design thinking, and academic rigor in a small rural-school environment. It evolves into specific inquiries into critique, pride and commitment in exploring concepts of quality and diversity in bringing into student inquiries both community and local Indigenous participation. Now in its in its 7th year as an interdisciplinary, project-based program that combines grades 8 & 9 Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts, sometimes including as well Mathematics, Health, and Applied Design curricula, the project explores how further possibilities may become further important changes in education.

As an artifact, this project has shared a project overview with inquiry documentation (PDF opens in a new window).

From a recent Rural Schools Symposium, we are grateful to be able to share this project’s presentation (.pdf opens in new window).

Here is a recent DSCS Middle School final project report (opens in new tab).

And here is the DSCS 2020 Rural Schools Symposium Presentation (.pdf opens in new window).

Don’t miss also the DSCS 2021 Rural Schools Symposium Presentation (.pdf opens in new window) to see how this project has evolved, through both wildfires and COVID.