The Why:
Each year, the Minnesota Department of Education conducts the Minnesota Student Survey. In the 2022 results, 38% of seniors and 51% of sophomores report they somewhat/rarely build friendships with others. Additionally, 63% of seniors and 51% of sophomores have reported they very often/almost always think about the purpose of their life. These are interesting and worthy of further exploration. United South Central had the opportunity to visit Hutchinson, Minnesota to learn about REACH, a uniquely designed character building class. Through the implementation of the REACH course, project-based learning provides students with ownership, commitment, and community learning opportunities. These enriching experiences then allow for not only individual growth but also collaboration between students and their community.
The Goal: Help students experience success by learning additional life skills to overcome challenges present in their lives. The REACH class supports students not only academically, but helps them build competencies necessary to become successful adults after graduation.