Survivor Week: How a Rural Colorado School Jump-Starts Learning

We love sharing the many ways that Edmentum products are used in programs created by schools and districts across the country (and even around the world). Today, we’re going to look at how the rural Campo School District RE-6 in Colorado helps jump-start learning with its Survivor Week Challenge after summer break, spring break, or any school break for that matter. We hope that you’re able to read the district’s story and apply some of the ideas to your own programs. Let’s cover the basics.

What is Survivor Week?

This challenge was mainly for junior high and high school students, although some elementary school students did participate too. It’s similar to what some may know as a jump-start program. The main goal was to get students back into a routine of thinking after a long-term break, but it can even be used coming back from a shorter break. Being a smaller district, its Survivor Week groups included multiple grade levels; sixth and seventh grades were grouped together as an example, but single grades were also grouped.

How did it work?

This was the really fun part. Groups were able to create tribal names for themselves and set two to three academic goals for the semester. The groups worked specifically in math, English, science, and social studies, with two sessions allocated in the morning and two in the afternoon for students to work on their Survivor Week projects.

To help get the groups started, teachers created the core work and then utilized the custom course builder in Edmentum Courseware to create courses based on specific interests. Campo Schools also utilized its NWEA™ scores to identify skills that needed further development. Of course, these groups also incorporated Survivor-themed snacks and exercise time built in to break up the sessions. Even their lunch meals were Survivor themed!

How long did the activity last?

Campo Schools’ K–12 principal Kim Jenkins recommends sticking to a week-long challenge. This time period helped keep everyone on track and engaged. At the conclusion of the challenge, each tribe was expected to provide a short presentation about how they reached their goals.

The stories of success, both big and small, are really what drive us at Edmentum. So, please share with us the innovative ways you put our programs to work.

Are you interested in learning how you can partner with Edmentum to create unique programs that keep your students engaged and learning all year long? Check out Edmentum Courseware to see how you can extend and expand your course options and even begin planning for this fall!