The Grant Learning Center offers alternative education to high school students who have, for one reason or another, not found success at the regular high school. Many students have been successful at the Learning Center. Currently, there are about 35 students at the Learning Center in the daytime program. Our alternative program has been successful due to four important factors:

We are using academic and extra-curricular activities in an experiential learning mode.

We use firm, yet flexible, discipline.

We have staff members who are committed to teaching our students.

We have staff members who are patient and non-judgmental.

Many alternative education programs have turned to the outward-bound model of experiential learning. That is, students with a troubled background are taken out of the environment they are used to, and placed into a situation which they find uncomfortable, i.e. the wilderness, in a canoe, or on a "ropes" course. By utilizing these foreign environments, students are taught teamwork, trust in others, to expand their own ability, and to trust in themselves.

Our program is using this same philosophy with the classroom and academics. Our position is that simple success in the classroom is a foreign experience for most of our students. Instructors in the Grant Alternative Program use the following techniques to build an attitude of success in our students:

Identify the learning styles of the students.

• Identify and classify the limitations for each student. A student may have a very low reading level, but may be above grade level orally. In this case, we teach to the strength of that student, and work with him/her to limit, or even eliminate, the liability.

Practice teamwork. Each class has a component in which students must rely on themselves and be responsible for each person in their group or team. This builds a sense of purpose, making the students believe and feel as if they are part of, and responsible for, something bigger than themselves.

Expect success from each of our students. When a student arrives, we do not have any preconceived ideas. Each student comes into our program with a clean slate. Our academics for them and our expectations are high.

We take great pride in the educational service we are providing our students, the district, and the community.