School Spotlight: SAGE Academy’s Project-Based Learning
SAGE Academy is a Brooklyn Park charter school that celebrates diversity and has an international focus. Teachers engage students through emphasizing projects and individualized learning plans.
“Every student is unique,” Cari-Ana Garcia Luna the interim director of SAGE. “They all need something a little bit different for their success and that’s amazing. It also takes everybody to make that happen.”
SAGE stands for Students Achieving Global Excellence.
Project Based Learning
SAGE opened its doors to 65 students in 2002. The school started with a mission of celebrating diversity and creating a school with a global and international focus. A real-world approach to learning is what some teachers say changes students’ attitudes toward education.
“Doing a project-based approach to education really lets students have a multi-mobile experience,” says Joseph Norby-White, a science teacher at SAGE. “Students can really emphasize their strengths and it gives them more opportunities to work on their weaknesses.”
One of those students who changed her view on education is Asreal Santana.
“When I went to Park Center, I had high dreams of dropping out of school,” says Asreal Santana, a senior at SAGE. “When I came here, I discovered something inside of myself.”
Teachers say Asreal’s story is a familiar one.
“I see students who come here who are really struggling to even acknowledge their peers,” added Norby-White. “Within a few months it’s a complete turnaround.”
For more information about SAGE Academy, visit their website.
