Play Offers Programs for the Seven Oaks Met School and the Maples Met School
We are excited to announce that Architects At Play is now a Partner with the Seven Oaks Met School and the Maples Met School! We believe that the world around us is the best place to learn and that the most valuable learning happens outside the four walls of a classroom (or office). We also believe that education should be based on an individual's interests and that curriculum should be developed as a partnership among the educators, students, student's family, industry, and community.
The Met Schools offer students the opportunity to learn from the real world through interviews, job shadowing, and volunteer internships. As a partner with the Met Schools, Play will commit time, resources, and knowledge to students interested in the fields of Architecture or Design. We can mentor students on all aspects of our industry, including design thinking, business strategies, fabrication and construction, and many other areas that might be of interest to the individual. Some activities might include working on actual design projects through drawing, modelling, and computer drafting; visiting construction sites to see how projects come together; and playing some basketball!
If you or your child is interested in learning more about the Met School and the programs offered through Architects At Play, please contact Maribeth Tabanera, Learning Through Internship Coordinator, at the Seven Oaks School Division.
Here are excerpts from the Partner Outreach Letter describing the Met Partner Program:
"The most important element of the education at a Big Picture Learning school is that students learn in the real world. The main component of every student’s education is the LTI (Learning Through Internship/Interest). There are three primary reasons for connecting real world, adult mentors to the schooling process:
1. Students learn how to be adults by being with adults.
Teenagers are on the brink of adulthood, and we believe the best way for them to learn how to be an adult is by being immersed in the adult world. With mentoring, a young person steps into that adult world on a regular basis, and interacts with a variety of adults. Mentoring moves a young person beyond the familiarity of the adults in his or her personal life and provides a broader range of role models.
2. The expertise is out in the real world.
The expertise of a mentor in her/his field is valuable to the student. Mentors are living examples of the careers that students are thinking of pursuing.
3. The guidance is invaluable.
The mentor-intern relationship is special for people of all ages. The guidance and direction that mentors give is personal and based on the intern’s own particular needs, talents, and interests. There is a level of comfort in this kind of guidance that makes it possible to learn through both accomplishments and mistakes.
The following is a brief description of how it all works:
Informational Interview
Each student is exploring passions or careers that they are interested in finding more about. An informational interview is when a student sets up an appointment to interview a person about their profession to learn about and get a realistic view about what to expect. The interview is for 15-30 minutes on a Tuesday or Thursday.
Shadow Day
Each student requests shadow day sites based on their individual interests. By learning first-hand from an adult who has the same interest and is engaged in a related career, the student has the opportunity to experience learning in a meaningful way. A shadow day can be scheduled for any Tuesday or Thursday, depending on availability. We request up to four shadow days as part of the trial period. Please note that the Seven Oaks School Division takes on liability for the student.
Internship (volunteer)
An internship lasts anywhere from one trimester to a full academic year depending on project work and interest. The internship days are Tuesdays and Thursdays. The hours are from 9:00am - 3:30pm. These hours can be flexible depending on the site and will be discussed at the internship set-up meeting. Internships are unpaid.
The objective is for the student intern to work on professional development, and “real-world” projects. The breakdown would be 40/40/20: 40% professional development, 40% project work, and 20% “grunt work.”. The student intern is there to make things “easier” on the mentor, not to add work. The mentor should consider having the student work on a project that is beneficial to the site. In addition, the student’s interest should also be considered. This will allow for accountability and investment by both parties. At the end of every trimester, the student will present his/her internship work at an exhibition. You, as the mentor, will be invited to attend. Feedback is given to the student by his/her peers, advisor, and by you (the mentor) if you are able to attend."
