George Lucas Educational Foundation

Building Empathy Through Community Projects

Twice a year, students and teachers in Eminence, Kentucky, collaborate for three days on meaningful projects that serve their community.

December 7, 2017

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Schools That Work

Eminence Independent Schools

Public, Rural
Grades K–12
Eminence, KY

The Eminence Independent Schools district was failing less than a decade ago. Enrollment was declining, and test scores and morale were plummeting in the small, rural, Title 1 district in Eminence, Kentucky. To save the district and the town, Buddy Berry, the superintendent, initiated sweeping changes that were identified by the students themselves.

With community buy-in, the district built a 30,000-square-foot technology-focused building with eight makerspaces to foster personalized learning, made time for students to design and solve real-world problems, and developed an early college program to prepare students for college. The district also adopted a “surprise and delight” culture—focusing on ways to boost student and staff morale. The district’s efforts paid off: Graduation rates and college persistence rates have increased, and enrollment has doubled.

This is part of our Schools That Work series and features key practices from Eminence Independent Schools in Kentucky.

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  • Interest-Based Learning

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