Big Picture Schooling: An Unconventional Spin On Education

Isaiah Brown, a freshman at Francis Perkins Academy shares with us his experiences at an innovative Big Picture School, where students are able to get real-world experience as part of their high school education.

In 1995, Dennis Littkey and Elliot Washor combined their thirty years of experience as high school teachers and principals to found an innovative new educational movement named Big Picture Learning.

Big Picture Learning students follow the philosophy of learning through real life experience and a curriculum is built around the student’s interests. This manifests itself in an internship students attend for 6 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of in-class learning. When the internships are  found and secured each student receive a mentor who will help the student learn and complete the LTI (Learning through internships) project, a showcase of the things they have learned.

There are thirty nine Big Picture schools throughout the U.S, and four of those are in New York. I’ve had the privilege of going to one these schools, Francis Perkins Academy in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and it has been an interesting and inspiring experience. I’ve already secured an internship and it’s easily been one of the most inspiring times of my life. I’m learning everyday, my mentor is unbelievably supportive and helpful and most importantly, I’m pursuing my passions. In class the teaching may be a bit different but it definitely gets the job done. My peers are diverse people with many varying interests, strengths and talents and the teachers are a driving force behind the schools success. They support the students, help them find internships and only work to ensure our personal growth. The school is just an all-around inviting and creative environment.

Students always need internships. Though internships are found by the students with help from teachers, sometimes finding them isn’t as simple as it sounds and you can never have enough options. I intern at a communications company, Anomaly and I’m very thankful that they became a part of this program.

Big Picture schools are constantly looking for companies who are willing to give this philosophy and the students a try. Whatever the place: ad agency, bike shop, I’m sure there will always be a student or two interested. And of course we need more students so the schools can expand, grow, and show the potential in Big Picture Learning.

If you want to find a school, offer an internship or learn about Big Picture check it out at: bigpicture.org

Thanks Isaiah!