How Place-based Learning Has A Role in K-12 Education

During a recent Webinar with education leaders throughout the U.S., Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon said acknowledged that school will not resume as normal even if they wanted to.

“This is our opportunity to create new tools and to abandon the tools that have kept us trapped in an inequitable and unjust system for so long.

Eric Gordon, Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO

With social distancing requirements for school re-opening formalizes in virtually all states, Gordon is exploring all of the places and ways in a community where kids can learn. This place-based learning could be museums, art galleries, music venues, science centers or parks.

Schools should also consider integrating workplace learning opportunities like job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships and learn and earn programs. 

Gordon continued

Gordon explained that students and families need opportunities for authentic demonstrations of their learning to community members through such possibilities as juried exhibits, the production of artifacts and awarding of credentials. 

Listen to more comments from Eric Gordon and panel participants here.


School and community members have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvent where and how learning happens. Time is critical and education experts urge leaders to begin immediately to create learning environments that are safe, inclusive and responsive to current opportunities.

Read our press release that shares comments from other leaders in education on how TIES’ new COMMUNITY AS THE CAMPUS initiative leverages the COVID-19 pandemic to redesign outdated education models by engagement community partners to affect change.