LearnLocal| Place - based Education Community Planning Meets Classroom Education

Partnerships between planners and high school teachers add a dynamic element to local planning. Youth who are engaged in community-driven efforts provide a fresh perspective for long-term objectives. They are not inhibited by the old ways of doing things. They exhibit ownership in the conditions of their community, and they show enthusiasm for becoming involved. Young people bring modern ideas to the planning table. Planner-teacher partnerships enhance opportunities for broad community development as well. By bringing local planning into classroom education, there is an opportunity to increase the level of participation through parents, family members, caregivers and youth groups. With respect to public outreach, a class of students often provides a cross-section of many different communities otherwise fragmented from the process or difficult to bring together. Dialog in this setting reaches far beyond the walls of the classroom or city hall, and brings more voices into the fold