Woodward School Partnership    

Our KPS partnership began in 1997 with the Woodward School, a K–6 boundary magnet two blocks from “K,” and this is still our most complex partnership:  Every year, Woodward’s 350 – 400 pupils welcome over 125 students in service-learning courses, and about  30 volunteers and 40 federal work study students from “K” --- each committing three or more hours a week for at least a 10-week quarter.  

Service-Learning Courses at Woodward
Such courses have included German, Math, Psychology, Public Health, Women’s Studies, Anthropology, Poetry, and Physics.  Associate Professor of Psychology Siu-Lan Tan has taught her Developmental Psychology course (Psychology 210) with a Woodward component  --the Co-Authorship Project every year since 1998.  This project has paired K and Woodward students to write and illustrate books together, and hundreds of students have now produced over 1000 books.  In her Social Development course (Psychology 460) , students have served on the Playground Crew to promote tolerance and reduce bullying, and have had a larger reach as well: “Stop School Bullying” materials (including the website) they have developed are used by teachers all over the nation.

Students in Alison Geist’s “Contemporary Issues in Public Health” (HDSR 210) have worked for many years with Principal Beth Yankee and faculty at Woodward to develop and implement nutrition and wellness curricula and health education to reduce obesity and foster awareness among children of the value of local and fresh foods.  Wellness has also been a focus of Associate Professor Karyn Boatwright’s Feminist Psychology of Women course, in which students have helped coach Girls on the Run teams.

Associate Professor of Physics Loretta Johnson has placed students in her Women in Science course at Woodward, both to observe learning and teaching styles that may be gendered, and to offer tutoring that sparks  and sustains girls’ science interests.

Several Chemistry courses deepen “K” students’ mastery of course material by offering them the chance to teach elementary school students and guide them in the development of Science Expo projects.   Dr. Joan Esson’s students have worked with children at Woodward to analyze the presence of lead paint in their homes, toys, and playgrounds and help them develop health education materials for the community.’

Woodward has been home to a number of SIPS, both research and project-based, and students in Applied Statistics classes have assessed the influence of community engagement on “K” students working there.

Ongoing Programs at Woodward
Outside of courses, K students staff after-school math and writing programs and in-class literacy programs.  These have raised Michigan Educational Assessment Program scores, and math enrichment programs improve access for low income and minority students to academically talented programs, which lead to college. 

“K” students who work at Woodward outside of classes may earn minimum wage, if they qualify for the federal work study program, or, if they work in math or science, through the College’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant.  They are also welcome to volunteer.

All students who work at Woodward in any capacity must attend orientations, complete the appropriate paperwork (including the signed position descriptions and bi-weekly timesheets), and fill out quarterly evaluations.  Students in courses will incorporate their experiences into their classwork; those who work at Woodward outside of courses must attend reflection sessions and workshops of which the Student Coordinators will notify them.

PALS After-School:  About 40 “K” and Woodward students  work one–on-one in this tutoring program to improve math and writing skills.   Designed by Math Facilitator June Marlett and coordinated by a “K” LaPlante Scholar, PALS has effectively improved academic performance for over eight years.

Math and Science Contact:  LaPlante Scholar Thomas Gilchrist, k06tg01@kzoo.edu

Literacy Tutors:  Assigned to specific classrooms, “K” students work with small groups of children or individuals to improve reading and writing.

Literacy Contact:  LaPlante Scholar Anna Borysewicz, k06ab07@kzoo.edu