Guided Experiences
You're invited to visit some of the premiere Big Picture Learning network schools across the country through our two-day Guided BPL Experiences. As part of these site visits, you'll be immersed in the culture of what it means to be a seasoned BPL school through real-time interactive experiences with leaders, advisors, national BPL staff and - most importantly - students!
You'll not only have the opportunity to meet with leaders, educators and students from the host school; you'll also share time and space with visitors from around the country who are grappling with and exploring the same issues you are.
Each visit offers something different, but all will introduce you to our explicit design principles - One Student at a Time, Advisory, Real World Learning, Interest-driven Learning, and Authentic Assessments - our OARIA, if you will.
While it might make sense for your team to visit a BPL school within close geographic proximity, it's also worth considering that we've arranged this year's Guided Experiences to illustrate how the BPL design works in both urban and rural environments. We're even visiting a Middle and Elementary school!
Just like with any BPL school experience, as part of your visit we'll break you out of the walls of the school itself. You'll leave to learn by visiting students in their internships and taking in the rich culture of the community that surrounds and partners with the school itself.
Internship visit day
Reflection with School Leadership
Check out this document for a more detailed agenda.
2024-2025 Experiences
Reading about the BPL design is one thing. Seeing and feeling it is something completely different. Bringing my colleagues to last year's Guided Experience really helped us share an experience and understanding about what BPL might look like in our community.
Grant Knowles, Director of Innovation
Hamilton County Schools (Chattanooga, TN)
The cost to attend a BPL Guided Experience is $700 pp or - new for 2024-2025! - $1,200 pp if you attend paired geographic Guided Experiences. Please note: this cost pays for meals that are built into this visit and also reimburses host school staff and students for time taken away from their regular school day.
If you need this information in a printable format to share with colleagues, a description sheet is available here.
