Grand Rapids Public Museum School, Grand Rapids, MI

August 13, 2024

This unique high school is located in a renovated historic downtown museum building and now connects to the Grand Rapids Public Museum archives, allowing students to use and explore more than 250,000 cultural and historic artifacts. Students also help museum staff collect, process, and curate new materials in a design lab, and help design and update existing exhibits. With the broader goal of civic engagement and community stewardship, students choose projects that contribute to the improvement of the community. At the core of the team’s work is a simple idea: disengaged learners are more likely to become disengaged citizens and the Grand Rapids community can change that trajectory by immersing students in engaging learning experiences.

School Type

Choice School

School Context

Small Size, Middle School, High School, Urban, Member of XQ Network

Dimensions

Outcomes: Leverage the city’s resources to deepen learning; College plan for every student
Learning Experience: Place-based; Client connected; Design thinking; Located in active and renovated museum
Competency & Credentialing: CBE with XQ Learner Goal alignment; extended transcript starting next year.
Wellness: Advisory; Postsecondary planning; Social-emotional competencies
Equity: 61% free/reduced price lunch
Professional Learning: Teacher leadership with personalized learning support
Strategy: XQ Grantee; MS feeder; Strong district relationship; School’s model is viewed as pilot that will influence district planning and practices
Partnerships: Grand Rapids Public Schools; Grand Rapids Public Museum, Kendall College of Art and Design; Grand Valley State University; City of Grand Rapids; Downtown Grand Rapids
Technology: Schoology