Bound by the time box, teachers only have approximately 6.5 instructional hours to reach their students. This can be problematic with all the things we have to and want to get done. In a perfect world the machine of school would thrive with strategic inputs that yield the desired outputs. And yet this is not the case. 

We are still working to eliminate the achievement gap and in many cases this is rooted in the opportunity gap. In education, the work is never really “done.” I argue that this is because the work we do is people work and people are never really done learning. We all come to the table with different experiences, knowledge, and even perceptions.  

Ultimately as educators we are tasked with developing the next generation of decision makers. Predicting the future is nearly impossible and even things like keeping up with AI and the ripple effect that will have in virtually every industry can feel overwhelming. But we get to live in the here and now. 

 This is why hanging your hat on “authentic learning” experiences may prove to be the one evergreen move we can make in education. And this is because authentic learning is a product of real time happenings in and beyond the classroom. 

In essence, we can look outward to create connections inside our schools. What real deliverable could students be producing? What real problem could they be troubleshooting? What is something that gets them wildly excited to come to school, support, and contribute? Projects like running the school's social media, or using drones to develop a “why our town” video for the local chamber of commerce, or creating geo tags for the local park are all experiences that can be deep and impactful learning opportunities. 

Imagine students partnering with a local museum that holds a unique historical connection — The Anne Frank Connection. This is a self guided museum that features postcards from a student in Iowa that was a pen pal with Anne Frank. Through this unexpected bond, the museum vividly brings to life the story of the Holocaust and the experiences of the Frank family. It connects a rural community, located 4,500 miles from where the Franks lived, to a powerful piece of history that local students know well.

To keep the story alive the museum had a goal to raise funds for a pre-WWII railcar. Students from the local community school district partnered to help bring awareness to this fundraiser, working hand-in-hand to create marketing materials such as a video that was informative and created a compelling why to get involved. These same students presented at a statewide Future Ready Summit and put this small museum on the map. Spoiler Alert: The museum was able to get more stakeholders involved and received a substantial grant to finally get the railcar! It took years to pull it off, but these students were a part of the journey. 

Authentic projects are rich in that you may be hitting learning objectives for history class or maybe it's for technical writing. Quite possibly this might show up in a marketing or communications class. The list goes on. When students see their own personal value and that their contribution makes a difference, motivation and creativity goes through the roof. Anything is possible. 

When students are positioned to collaborate with community partners and entities, the benefits are substantial:

• Content Knowledge: Learning becomes real, applicable, and engaging.
• 21st-Century Skills: Students naturally develop critical skills like communication, creativity, and collaboration.
• Student Agency: Learners take ownership of their work and see its value.
• Career Awareness: Authentic experiences double as work-based learning opportunities.
• Networking: Students build connections with experts, mentors, and career pathways.
• Community Impact: Students make a positive difference in their local communities.

It's shifting from “fake projects” to real ones. We have enough problems to solve, we do not need to make them up. And if we want students to get better at problem solving we have to give them real problems to solve. They know the difference. 

Ready to start? There’s a few ways to get started without too much lift. If you have a project that you engage students with already, imagine that project as version 1.0. And give yourself time to imagine a 2.0 version. Adding a layer of authenticity or application to do something in connection with a community entity adds that layer. Even if it's just that initial connection or sharing from an expert that can add value to what students are doing in class. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It can be some or something. 

What resources might help?  Here are a few launch points:

• Explore: Iowa’s Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning - A digital Opportunity Board that aligns projects and opportunities to grade bands, academic domains, and career clusters. 
• Connect: Host a Community Think Tank with school and community stakeholders.
• Vision:  SOAR Protocol to see what this could look like for you. 
• Ideate: Try the Project Hackathon Template to generate ideas! 
• Create: Try this FigJam Authentic Learning Project Canvas for digital whiteboarding. 
• Jump all in! Get the Project Maverick Student Project Book (Print or Fillable PDF) + other resources to support individual to team development to support your authentic learning project.  (Video FlipBook)