Project-based learning remains paramount at Iowa BIG

CEDAR RAPIDS — For more than a decade, Eastern Iowa students have explored project-based learning through the Iowa BIG program based in Cedar Rapids.

As more school districts turn instead to their own project-based learning models, Iowa BIG is adapting to meet the needs of the students it does continue to serve — primarily in the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

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In fall 2021, the Linn-Mar Community School District broke ties with the program to create its own project-based model called Venture Academics. Other school districts like College Community and Alburnett are leaving Iowa BIG in favor of a program through Junior Achievement called 3DE, which has the potential to bring project-based learning to more students in their districts.

Last fall, the Cedar Rapids district launched its own project-based high school called City View Community, with the goal of giving its students the ability to explore learning through community-based projects while meeting academic standards.

Iowa BIG also has seen a change in leadership over the last few years. Trace Pickering, who helped create the program in 2013, retired from his leadership role as executive director in 2022. This year, Cedar Rapids district director of innovation Adam Zimmermann also took over as executive director of Iowa BIG and as principal of City View Community.

Today, there are about 80 students enrolled in Iowa BIG. They split their time between their traditional high school and the off-site program. This is the last academic year the College Community School District is participating in Iowa BIG.

The program this year is operating out of the Cedar Rapids Medical Education Foundation Building at 1260 Second Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids’ MedQuarter District. Next year, it is expected to join City View Community, which is housed downtown at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.

However, the idea is for Iowa BIG to remain independent of City View Community, with students who enroll in the program continuing enrollment in their traditional high school — whether that’s Jefferson, Kennedy, Washington or City View, Zimmermann said.

Iowa BIG educators and students say the model still is a crucial way to give students choice and voice in their learning by engaging them in community projects.

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“The idea that underpinned City View was kids need experiences in the community, so they can grow individually and understand all the opportunities available to them after graduation,” Zimmermann said. “Those grew right from Iowa BIG — doing community-driven work. We want to make sure there still is an opportunity for kids to take advantage of that.”

Becky Herman, a lead instructor with Iowa BIG, said there’s a wide range of projects students are working on already this year.

One group is partnering with UnityPoint Health’s Generate Lab at St. Luke’s Hospital to create a model that shows which parts of the brain are associated with anxiety or depression. The model also then will show which parts of the brain are affected by medications to treat anxiety and depression.

Brayden Brueggemeyer, 17, a senior at Kennedy High School, is working on two projects. The first partners with the Leaders Believers Achievers Foundation, a youth mentoring program in Cedar Rapids, to organize a field day next spring. For the other project, Brueggemeyer is working with Feed Iowa First to create a device that removes beetles from farmland to help refugees and immigrants successfully grow produce.

Both projects are teaching him more about the community he lives in and how to communicate professionally via email and contribute to meetings, Brueggemeyer said.

Three seniors from Prairie High School are creating a curriculum to teach elementary students and adults about all-terrain and utility task vehicle safety.

Zach Winborn, 18, said “people die everyday” in ATV and UTV crashes. “Everyone knows someone or has themselves been in a horrifying accident,” Winborn said.

The curriculum will include information about local laws on driving ATVs and UTVs, the importance of wearing helmets and seat belts and not getting into a vehicle with someone under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and post-crash safety.

The students are working with the Iowa Department of Transportation, local law enforcement, emergency medical services and the RideSafe Foundation, which promotes safety in recreational vehicles, to create the curriculum and deliver it.

The students hope to deliver the curriculum this spring to elementary-school students in the College Community School District. They also hope to open it up to the community with a presentation next year at Lake View OHV Park near Solon.

Winborn said project-based learning at Iowa BIG is teaching him how to create and meet his goals.

The other students on the project are Chris Lange, 17, and Spencer Wood, 18, who also are both seniors at Prairie High School. Both agree Iowa BIG a great way for them to explore their career interests.

“For me, I didn’t like speaking in front of people,” Wood said. “You come here and you have to get used to it. It’s a real-life experience, and I think it’s really helping us prepare for our futures. Before this class, my plan was college and baseball. Now, I’m looking into the trades.”

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