A sneak peek at some of the projects Dual School students are developing

Dual School, the project-based learning program for high-schoolers that launched last year, is well into its second session after its successful pilot last fall. The number of students has doubled, with two meetings a week at 1313 Innovation and a third group based at William Penn High School’s Innovation Center.

We’ve seen some pretty amazing things from Dual School students, from an AI-based career survey to a rotorless drone prototype to projects taking on issues such as mental healthcare in schools, food waste and financial literacy for low-income communities. The new batch of 30 students will be presenting their projects at the Dual School Spring Exhibition at 1313 on May 22 from 5–8 p.m.

What can you expect to see?

• Rita (St. Elizabeth’s) is tackling gender equality in schools and businesses with implicit bias consulting.
• Sabin (Newark Charter) is working toward passing a Green Amendment in Delaware and is helping Main Street businesses make the switch from plastic to paper straws.
• Daniela and Isha (Delaware Design Lab) are establishing a mentor program for elementary school students to foster an interest in learning.
• Carlson (CSW) wants to make nonprofits more efficient with a system to use their resources more effectively and increase the investment market.
• Jillian (Newark Charter) is creating a program for high-school students to learn about environment issues and take direct action.
• Matt (St. Elizabeth’s) is working on a revitalization of Canby Park, complete with a stadium, and is working on a bond bill to allocate funds.

Matt even shared a very cool video of for the Canby Park project, filmed by drone with the help of Dual School’s High Tech High partners:

Dual School students learn how to set and meet goals, often by trial and error, and apply projects directly to the real world.

“Dual School has helped me grow a lot,” said Carlson, whose project is about helping nonprofits. “It gets people acting, not just thinking. It’s helped me both in school and my personal life. Just going to Dual School helps you realize your passion — it’s not just focused on getting a degree.”

This is just a tiny taste of the Dual School Spring Exhibition, of course. There will be workshops, talks, more videos, artwork and prototype demos from students in both the 1313 and William Penn programs.

It’s an event worth checking out, whether you’re interested in education or are want to get a look at Delaware’s emerging talent. To register for this free event, click here.