Clark Street Community School Virtual Tour

This presentation showcases Clark Street Community School, a school in Wisconsin that demonstrates how democratic, personalized, and place-based education can be implemented within a public school district. Through voices of current students, parents, alumni, and staff, the session reveals how their community-centered approach develops learner agency, social connection, and real-world relevance. The school operates on three core pillars: personalized learning that harnesses student interests and passions, democratic learning that fosters critical engagement while upholding community rights and responsibilities, and place-based education that connects learners with their broader community at multiple levels.

Students share compelling stories of growth through challenging experiences like public presentations, business pitch competitions, and collaborative feedback processes. They describe how the school's culture of "asking for what you need" empowers them to advocate for themselves and initiate changes in their learning community. The multi-age, interdisciplinary seminar structure, combined with structured feedback cycles and "Sustaining Excellence" days for community reflection, creates an environment where students develop essential life skills including time management, self-advocacy, and constructive criticism. Alumni report feeling better prepared for post-secondary success than their traditionally-educated peers, particularly in areas of time management, help-seeking, and knowing their own learning preferences. The school's transition from an isolated charter to being housed within a traditional high school building presents both challenges and opportunities for spreading innovative practices throughout their district.

"At Clark Street we do a lot of scary things that like if you asked me to do those things when I was in Middle School I would have probably cried and ran away... I feel like doing those scary things together kind of gives you a sense of courage to maybe go up and talk to people and also just grow together through those experiences."

"We have a really strong Community here and I think that Community is not just about supporting each other on a social level but it's also a really strong academic Community where students are challenging each other supporting each other in order to be better Learners."

"That transition to college I felt like I had more structure in college rather than less which was not the same for many of my peers... I know how to manage my time, I know what to do with open time."

• Students describe calling teachers by first names and feeling comfortable giving feedback on instruction. What specific practices could help flatten the traditional power dynamics between students and educators in your context?
• What benefits and challenges do you see in mixed-age learning environments? How might age segregation in traditional schools limit student development?
• The school intentionally designed spaces like a shared kitchen where students and staff interact informally. How might physical environment support the kind of community you want to build?