As a Chicago-based Transitional Living Community for young adult students attending college, vocational programs, certificate programs, and other post-secondary solutions, EDGE is looking for ways to evolve their program and research new methods to positively impact the future of EDGE students. Recently, EDGE began researching the positive impact of Project Based Learning to their program.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge (learn) and skills by actively engaging in real world and personally meaningful projects; working for an extended period to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.

PBL provides opportunities for students to build these qualities:

• Problem solving
• Responsibility
• Cooperation/teamwork
• Critical thinking
• Confidence
• Managing time and work effectively.
• Communication

Project Based Learning provides motivation and inspiration to passive students. Students here need more than just basic subject area knowledge that they learn in academic settings. The personal qualities and competencies learned through PBL has had various names such as 21st century skills, soft skills, interdisciplinary skills, work habits, deeper learning, career or college readiness skills, but we view them as success skills.

EDGE Program Director Jack Flight states, “Our projects bring all these success skills together in a way that nothing else can. Students find themselves using these skills in practical ways and when the project has finished, they are asked to reflect on their growth in them. We have the students select the project, determine a detailed list of the materials needed, plan the work and then complete the project as a small or large group depending on the choice of project. Some of the projects students have completed have been building clocks, creating a mural on a large wall, creating a film, and the current project in process, “The EDGE Olympics”.

Through Project Based Learning, EDGE students learn that they can solve problems that are important to them and to the EDGE Community as well as the larger communities that they are part of. PBL work at EDGE leads to a deeper understanding and better retention of content knowledge, additional exposure to possible careers, a sense of purpose greater than themselves, rewarding relationships with others, and opportunities to be creative, or as EDGE call them, Success Skills. In short, EDGE uses PBL as a way of learning through identifying a real-world problem and developing a solution for it. The students show their learning throughout the project, not just with the result.

About EDGE Learning and Wellness Collegiate Community

EDGE Learning and Wellness Collegiate Community is an accredited transitional living program located in Chicago, IL. EDGE offers therapeutically supported residential and non-residential options for post-treatment young adults. The participants, ages 18 -24, are striving to excel academically while creating a life of balance, joy and wellness.

To learn more about EDGE contact: info@edgelearningcommunity.com