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A teacher chats with students
Jeremy Tepper

To prepare for the workforce, young adults need a number of skills. Chief among them, it’s pivotal to be able to work within a team, collaborating together to best achieve the task at hand.  

With that in mind, the Duquesne City School District has a new elective for 7th and 8th grade students this year: District C. 

District C, according to its website, is a “reimagined internship experience that prepares students for modern work”, where “teams of students solve real problems for real businesses, all with the support of an expert coach.”  

Adam Ryan, also an ELA teacher, is teaching the class in the district currently.   

“I think it’s gone well. They get to see these real world problems and work together as a team to solve them. Each student brings their own ideas and flair to the table, and then bringing it together as a team is a goal of District C,” said Mr. Ryan.  

“Being able to use those team skills for their career in the future and working with teams in the future. Wherever you go, you’re going to need to be able to work as a team and have the skills to problem solve.” 

District C revolves around the idea of teamship, which has four steps: diversity, launch, solve, and pitch. Students with varied backgrounds and strengths are grouped together, and then are tasked with interviewing their business partner, crafting a solution for their problem, and then pitching the solution to the business.  

Currently, students are collaborating with and crafting plans to be presented to Duquesne's City Manager, Doug Sample, on how to improve Polish Hill Park. The collaboration came about naturally, as Sample has actually received money to improve the park, which many of the students have a personal connection to. Students have met with Sample twice, and are set to present to him at the end of October.  

“It’s very meaningful to them and it develops a connection because it’s right up the street. They’ve all been there and know where it is and what they want out of it. So they just have to put it all together and explore it as a team and navigate through the challenges and successes,” said Mr. Ryan.  

“That local collaboration is a goldmine because it invests in the community. They’re going right to the source, asking a group of people who know the park well, and know what might be beneficial for the people who use it. I think it’s kind of neat that they’re coming here for community input where it matters.” 

While the class is grounded in purposeful coaching and grouping of students by Mr. Ryan, the way in which students present a solution is up to them. Depending on what students access as the solution, the content of the work might change. One group, for example, has suggested adding a water park. In order to present that solution, students must use math and science skills to compile data and determine costs. Another group, depending on their solution and presentation style, might use graphic design skills or writing skills to craft a narrative. The class, in that way, is open-ended, allowing students to think outside of the box of a normal classroom structure, and use their strengths — in conjunction with others — to solve a real world problem.  

 “It prepares them for a real world experience, as they develop skills to help them with their career,” said Mr. Ryan.  

“They’re looking at the big picture, while also digging deeper — working as a team to explore questions, find root problems, and explore solutions.” 

A teacher chats with students
A teacher holds up a piece of paper.
A teacher chats with students
A teacher talks in front of his class