Who is the Arete Academy?

 In Arete, we prepare students for a future that does not yet exist; a future that is continually changing.  Twenty-first Century life calls for us to expect the unexpected and in Arete, we prepare students with skills to succeed in a future that cries out for leaders who can think critically, creatively and analytically, solve complex problems, persevere through challenges, and strive for excellence as they design their way forward through life.

In Arete, we bring classes to life when we build and overthrow empires, create a class government, grow plants, plan events, take trips, and build structures. We take learning to the next level by giving students meaningful opportunities to apply their learning to their passions, to help others and to solve local problems. Students create lasting memories through multisensory active learning in English, math, science and social studies classes and through public exhibitions of work. 

In Arete, students learn about themselves: their skills, passions, interests and roadblocks. We help students expand horizons and develop grit as they learn to be more comfortable when outside of their comfort zone. Developing grit enables students to climb higher, dig deeper and finish stronger. It is by learning strategies to push through discomfort and the encouragement of fellow classmates which allows students to find their success trajectory. 

In Arete, our focus is on depth of knowledge by combining learning from multiple classes in new and interesting ways.  Deep learning is “sticky” learning and leads to application in a real world setting. Opportunities in life don’t always come packaged in single subject boxes, and neither should education.

In Arete, students learn the value of teamwork through active contribution, reflection and discussion. We live in a world of connection where communication, listening and thinking are valued more than rote memorization.  Being remarkable is far more important than being a mindless follower filling in a test bubble. Making our lives matter is of utmost importance.  That is where the gap lies: between what students know and are capable of and what they are doing right now.  We designed the Arete Academy to help talented students close the gap. The Arete Academy is built to give each student an opportunity to stand out, seek change and leap.

Help Children Succeed

The American education system was developed over 100 years ago to prepare students for jobs of that time.  So why has that system remained virtually unchanged when our culture and economy have dramatically shifted to an age of information and technology? Most Likely to Succeed is an edu-documentary which will change the way you think about “school” and how it can prepare us for the future.

Join us at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Pickard Auditorium for a free public showing of Most Likely to Succeed and a discussion with education experts Oliver Schinkten of Linkedin and Dr. Joshua Garrison of UW-Oshkosh.

Learn how the Neenah Joint School District is embracing the revolutionary ideas in the film through the Arete Academy at Neenah High School and how it prepares your children for success in the 21st Century.

"Most Likely to Succeed is a thought-provoking documentary which questions whether our education system is preparing students for the 21st century.  This documentary sparks the conversation that every community needs to have.” Oliver Schinkten, Linkedin

"The 21st century is going to be all about building, creating, and innovating. This remarkable film shows a path of how we can empower all of our children to do that." Sal Khan, Khan Academy

“Incredible! It is the best explanation I have seen of what the issues are with education in America. I have not been this excited about the future of education in a very long time." Craig Mueller, Retired School Administrator

Learn to Be Disruptive

Seth Godin is one of my favorite authors. He is a disruptive force in the world of business and marketing, but I see his writing as directly applicable and disruptive to education as well. Depending on the situation, clients may be students or parents, bosses might be students, parents, or actual bosses. It is really all a matter of being able to see the connections.

Recently I have started Godin's Freelancer class on Udemy, a place for online learning. The classes on Udemy are not for college credit, but are for general learning of any kind. People make their own courses based on their expertise.

Because we are only in the second year of the program, by my way of thinking as members of our PBL program,  Arete PBL Academy at Neenah High School, all teachers and students are freelancers because we do not have an automatic clientele. Students often join us based on student or parent word of mouth, our presentations at other schools or our public displays of learning.

In the last three days, teachers and students in the program have presented at both Neenah High School and at Shattuck Middle School to inform families about our program. It really struck the  teachers in our program, Suzy Weisgerber, Emily Bennett, Tara Meinke, Lynn Heyn and I how impressive it was that students were willing to give up hours of free time to go to school and talk about how important our program has been to their lives.

One of the most effective lines that our students used while talking with families was, "Do you like tests?" The question usually stopped every kid in their tracks. Every student knows that for most classes and for most tests the goal is to get the highest grade possible and then forget the information as quickly as possible. In response to Godin's suggestions of how to increase demand, by asking that one question our students initiated a need in younger students. I feel it is the need for a way to do school that doesn't include tests.

Students followed that question by telling the story of our program, the way they learn, the learning outcomes both in terms of the academic expectations which all students have and the "soft skills" that they learn as part of how they are learning and showing the evidence of their learning.

Another element of Godin's (@thisissethsblog) freelancer course is to be an instigator, which is someone who decides what they are going to do rather than waiting for something to happen. Our students have instigated change in their lives and are encouraging others to do the same. It will be interesting to see how many students eventually join our program based on the student storytelling and instigation.